One Year Ahead, One Mile Behind
by draconichero21
Summary: Despair is always encroaching. Even when you have a year to be prepared. Sometimes it still feels like you're a mile behind. A reboot of the Danganronpa universe. Can two students unaware of Junko's plans cause enough of a butterfly effect that it prevents The Tragedy? Or is history doomed to repeat itself? Rated M cause we don't do that pink blood s**t here.
1. First Day of Hope's Peak, Alex-Hen

**(A/N: As with every story I write, introductions are always in order. This one especially requires one. For those of you that are huge Danganronpa fans, my co-writer, Setsubou, and I made this story for all of you. Welcome to therapy. We will do our best to alleviate your despair with a fun little story we've whipped up and planned out during the course of the airing of Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy. Due to the increasing amount of despair caused by this anime and the emotional trauma you may endure from watching it, we decided to make this story as an…alternative to those feeling pained by everything that happened.**

 **I know most of you out there hate self-insert stories, but veterans of my work can vouch for my skill level. There's a reason this story has the description and title it does. Setsubou and I have taken great pains to make sure that this story has something for everyone reading it out there. Not to mention we** _ **both**_ **have our own self-inserts so our ideologies and characters will conflict, even if we both are after the same goal: stopping Junko Enoshima. But how can we stop what we don't know is coming? Can two butterflies forever alter the course of history just by being themselves? Who knows? Either way, we want our Author Avatars to react to situations the way we feel we naturally would respond to given stimuli and since nothing about this story is extreme in any way, that makes things** _ **a lot**_ **easier.**

 **We have taken both games, Danganronpa IF and Zero, and the new third anime into account when outlining it. We are satisfied with how our outline turned out and…now it's time for you to see the fruits of our labor. We hope you enjoy this adventure as much as we did crafting it. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy,** _ **One Year Ahead, One Mile Behind**_ **. But before that, I will give my co-writer the chance to say a few words).**

 **(CA/N: Setsubou here! In the spirit of keeping things short and sweet, I will just say that while this is a much lighter and softer take on the Danganronpa universe, always keep in mind that the forces of Despair are capable of unparalleled cruelty. My job is to make sure we stay true to the spirit of the franchise, so while we may plan for an ending with a sunnier attitude, the road to get there may not be a smooth one. Also, all your waifus are belong to us. Upupupupu)**

* * *

This is a story of hope that ends in a happy ending. I've always liked stories like that. Unfortunately, life is never quite that simple. You won't know if you have a happy ending until you're too old to really enjoy it. That's why I've always had a penchant for fiction and spreading tales wherever I go.

Greetings, my name is Alex Goldrose. I'm an American-Japanese immigrant as of two years ago. See, my dad has a great disliking towards the current American President, Ronald Drumpf, and would not stay in the country with him in charge. We thought about moving to Canada, but then he managed to secure a sweet job in advertising right here in the land of the rising sun.

My Japanese is…well it's a marked improvement from when we first moved here. I speak it quite well. Writing's another story, but…eh, I'm learning. I guess it also helps that I've been watching anime with subtitles since I was nine. I also had a private tutor my first year here rather than enroll in a middle school for 8th grade. Studying for that was atrocious. And high school entrance exams? Never heard of such a thing back in America. Of course, with my brain, still a piece of cake. Of course, in the long run, that didn't matter.

About two months ago, my family received a letter in the mail. It was a letter from a school called Hope's Peak Academy welcoming me as its Ultimate Storyteller. Apparently during my time in Japan, someone investigated my background back in America and apparently I'd made a bit of a name for myself with just the scant few people I'd met during my time here in Japan.

It's not a lie though, I do have a knack for telling stories. Whether it's on paper or spoken word of mouth, I can tell it like you're there. I also don't do bad impressions of the participants either. I always thought I was tooting my own horn in thinking so, but if Hope's Peak thinks so then it must be true.

After the acceptance letter, my dad got a transfer to a home closer to the school. I'm close with my family. We're a tight knit group, especially with my grandparents still living in the states, along with my extended family. I think the one having the hardest time adjusting is my mom. She's an editor for doujin magazines. I mean…granted she used to edit porn magazines back home, but…this is something else. I bet she never expected to have to look at futanari or tentacle porn in her entire life.

Right now I'm on my way to Hope's Peak for my first day. I'm so excited. No one ever liked me back home. I was a social outcast. Girls never gave me the time of day. Jocks always picked on me. It was, to me, hell on Earth, especially elementary school. I'm hoping I meet a cute girl that likes me for who I am that isn't loose or considerably ugly. Probably not possible, but hey, I can dream.

Life is funny sometimes. Not funny like a punchline, but funny like a young teen rebel fighting against a tyrannical empire and falling in love with its top general…who just so happens to be a sadistic Yandere. It's—

SLAM!

Like I said. Life is funny. In the next instant, the next thing I knew I was falling on my ass, thrown back by the weight of the person I crashed into. As my ears stop ringing, in instinctually rub my head. _Well…that could've been…_ I look ahead to see who I crashed into … _worse?_

On the ground, legs spread slightly was a girl in a nurse's outfit and an apron. She had bandages on her arms and legs and whined as soon as she hit the ground on her back. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I could see her dark brown hair sprawled out onto the ground. Holy shit I knocked over a girl.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I blurted out in my best Japanese. "L-lemme help you up." I rushed over to her and extended my hand. Instinctually, she grabbed it. Her hand was soft and, as I pulled her to her feet, I finally got a good look at her. Her timid, brown eyes stared back at me like she wasn't sure if I was about to attack her. It was hard to tell by her clothes, but she did seem rather well-endowed. The rest of her body didn't seem that disproportionate either. I mean, nothing too out there, but definitely pretty.

"U-um…" her voice was gentle like a snow flake gently drifting down towards the ground. I watched her gaze travel towards where our hands were linked. "Ah! I'm sorry!" she suddenly pulled her hand away from me and recoiled. "I-I was s-still h-holding y-your hand w-without p-permission."

I blinked multiple times. _Is she for real?_ I mean, there was timid and…well there was whatever this was.

"A-and n-now y-you're not talking to me." She looked down at the ground, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "You must already hate me."

"Of course I don't! I just met you!" I exclaimed. "And forget about me, are you okay? You landed on your back. You're not hurt are you?"

"Ah…" she looked at me like the eyes a princess would look at her savior. She stared at me for a few seconds in complete silence. It was…kind of embarrassing. She then whimpered a little and tears started to form. She bowed. "Th-thank you f-for being w-worried about me!" She stood up straight, tensing up, clenching her hands to her chest, flustered. "B-b-but…y-you d-don't h-have t-to b-be s-so worried." She smiled, looking embarrassed, stroking her finger along the side of her temple. "I-I have fallen harder b-before. Th-this is no big deal."

 _And we've crossed from timid into battered housewife territory. Seriously._ I gave her an award winning smile. "Well," I said, "as long as you're not hurt, I'm happy. Sorry about that."

"N-no! I-I'm sorry, I-I bumped into you. I wasn't watching where I was going."

I bowed at a precise perpendicular angle. "The dishonor is all mine," I told her. "A gentleman should never disrespect a lady." I stood up straight. "But…" I chuckled and smiled. "I accept your apology nonetheless."

She suddenly burst into tears. "Th-thank you. N-no one's ever apologized t-to _me_ before."

And now I didn't just feel bad, I felt…enraptured. This girl…what made her this way? I mean, back home I know I had self-esteem issues, but this was a whole different caliber. It took all of my willpower not to take a few steps further and give the poor thing a hug. I thought it best to calm her down before anything else. "What's your name?"

"Huh?"

"When meeting new people, it's always courteous to exchange names. I'm Alex, clan name Goldrose. You are?"

"U-um…I-I'm M-Mikan. Tsumiki, Mikan. U-um i-it's a p-pleasure t-to meet you G-Goldrose-san."

"Whoa, okay, no. Goldrose-san is my father. Call me just Alex."

"O-okay! Th-then y-you can call m-me b-by m-my first name too."

I smiled and laughed. "Fair enough, Mikan."

She started laughing nervously. It was a really cute laugh. And between her demeanor and her body, her whole being just rang out with alarm bells of cuteness. Yup, no turning back now, I was definitely attracted to this girl.

However, the mood was suddenly ruined when Mikan let out a scream. "Ah!" she shouted, surprised. "Th-the entrance ceremony! We're going to be late!"

"Calm down," I said. "We've still got a few minutes and we're already here." Averting my gaze from her, I asked timidly. "Um, do you want to…sit together?"

"Hah?" She seemed surprised by the question. "D-do you really…want to sit…with someone like me?" she asked. She seemed positively giddy at the prospect.

I could feel my heart melting, lip forcibly quivering. _She better never ask me for a pony or I'm not going to be able to say no._ "Of course," I said, smiling. "Er…if you want to."

"Y-yes!" she exclaimed, sounding nervous, but no less unsatisfied. "Th-thank you."

"Well then, come on, I'll race you there!"

"Race? Wait a—"

I began to take off only to turn my head and see that Mikan, in an attempt to run after me, had fallen on her back again, though I took an accurate guess that she'd tumbled forward rather than wobbled backward. How she landed on her back with her legs spread open was beyond me. Her shoulder bag was also providing great censorship so that I couldn't look up her skirt. Sighing, I helped her up again.

"Uncoordinated huh?"

Mikan just looked timidly at the ground.

"Okay, no racing then," I said.

"Huh?" she seemed surprised by my words.

"We'll just walk together. No rush. We've got plenty of time. I'm sure we'll find two open seats."

"Y-you want to walk together…with me?" The water works were real with this one. "Th-that means I-I can w-walk next to you…r-right?"

"Of course," I said with a smile.

"Th-thank you. I-I'll try not to slow you down."

"Yeah, that's hard even for my family. I have a naturally quick gait, but…" I smiled, "I'll slow down the pace as best as I can for you."

"Y-you don't have to do…something so unnecessary. It—"

"It's fine," I told her. "Come on," I turned around and encouraged her to follow me.

The two of us walked straight up to the front steps of Hope's Peak Academy and then veered left to go to the gymnasium where the entrance ceremony was supposed to start. When we got there the place was…pretty empty. Schools in my hometown never really had entrance ceremonies, but…was this the entire student body? Hope's Peak Academy was _huge_ , so why the hell were there less than 100 students currently in attendance?

The bleachers were folded up and chairs were spread out across the gymnasium. There were still plenty of open seats. The lights were also off in preparation for the ceremony. I looked around, finally spotting two chairs on the right hand side in the middle of an empty row. "Come on, we'll sit there."

"Okay!" I couldn't see it because she was behind me, but based on her enthusiasm, I could guess Mikan was smiling. Her footsteps were encouraging knowing that she was still behind me. _If she's single without an arranged marriage, she's totally going to be my girlfriend,_ I thought to myself. The two of us sat together, eventually with other students piling in alongside, behind and in front of us. Some of them were wearing Hope's Peak uniforms, so that clearly meant they were upperclassmen, my senpais. I didn't pay them any mind, I simply watched the stage as a man with short, spikey hair took the stage, Hope's Peak Academy's Headmaster: Jin Kirigiri. Or, I guess I should call him Headmaster Kirigiri.

He stepped up to the podium and clacked a stack of papers in front of him. He adjusted the microphone and then spoke clearly into it to all of us. "Greetings students and welcome Class 77 of Hope's Peak Academy. For those of you that don't know, I am Jin Kirigiri, the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. At this school…"

As Headmaster Kirigiri began to talk about school regulations, I zoned out. It's a bad habit of mine, ADHD and all that. Mine is a pretty mild case though, I just have focusing issues every now and again, plus I can talk a mile a minute when I get…excited. While I still heard Headmaster Kirigiri talk, my gaze shifted away from the stage in the dark. I instead looked around at the gymnasium around me. It was pretty big for a gym with so few students in attendance. I couldn't make out shapes of anyone in the dark and my gaze eventually settled upon Mikan.

I could see her timid gaze staring towards Headmaster Kirigiri, hands placed neatly on her skirt. She really was cute. I inspected her ears and hands. From what I could tell, no rings or jewelry. She seemed very ordinary, which was nice. Extravagance sometimes lowered a woman's charm if they couldn't pull it off. She wasn't even wearing a necklace. I was tempted to make a move by sliding my hand on her leg or her shoulder. I can be a bit daring when I want to be, but I chickened out. A girl like her…I was probably better of leaving her alone. Her self-esteem seemed pretty in the gutter, but I bet she could scream really loud. I turned my head away from her quickly before she noticed I was looking at her. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

I focused again on Headmaster Kirigiri. Good thing too. He was saying something important. "…your homeroom teacher will hand out school uniforms to all of you. They are optional, but we hope that you take pride in the school you attend. At this school, for those of you still unaware, classes are optional. Hope's Peak is not like most academies. We prefer for the talents of our youth to shine and grow. We prefer that talent is polished over menial academics. As long as you pass your practical exams once a year, the learning curriculum for this school is nothing for you, our Ultimate students, to worry about. Attendance to class is not mandatory, neither is sitting in on your assigned homeroom."

Wait a second, I thought. So, no classes, no lectures, no tests except one practical exam a year? This is gonna be awesome!

After that, Headmaster Kirigiri just went on and on about school policies and what not. I didn't pay it any mind. I'm a good student. Besides, I'd read most of this in the student handbook that came with my acceptance letter. You could boil down any student handbook rules into pretty much one sentence: Don't be a dick! As long as you behave like a model citizen, you're not likely to get in any trouble. And in spite of the "no mandatory attendance policy" I figured I would at least attend the first bell just so I could feel organized. It's how I was raised: never be late for an appointment. I decided I would always start my day at my homeroom. But…what was my homeroom again? I think it was 77-A. At least, that's what I remember it saying on my acceptance letter and dorm room assignment.

Ah yeah, I almost forgot, this school has on-campus dorm rooms. Singles even. They're fully furnished, but I don't think I'll use mine very much. I still love my family and my mom doesn't cook for the good of her health. If nothing else I might hang out in it if I have something to do mid-day. Regardless, I remember the key to my assigned room saying 77-A on the keychain it was attached to. I currently had that and an attendance form on me shoved into my vest. It's chilly today for April. So I've been wearing a red vest over my favorite, lucky shirt: a picture of two dueling dragons, a red and a blue on, on a black background. I bought it at Universal Studios. It was a size too big when I first got it, but it fits me perfectly now. In the pocket of my vest I had my attendance record and in my right side pocket of my jeans, I had my dorm room key.

After talking our ears off for what seemed like forever, but what had only been approximately eighty minutes, I filed out of the auditorium, almost paying Mikan no mind, but promising to see her later offhandedly. I was focused more on the contradiction staring me in the face.

On my student record form, Class 77-B was printed at the top, but the key in my pocket clearly had 77-A on it. _On my first day, really?_ I thought, frowning in annoyance. I sighed and headed for the admissions office.

I walked up to the front desk, seeing the secretary sitting behind it. "E-excuse me," I said timidly. "I…"

"Hey," a calm, much less intimidated voice echoed through the hall as its owner walked right by me. He was wearing a green hoodie and had white hair that really looked like it needed both a trim and some taming. Seriously, when does this guy get his hair cut. "Pardon the intrusion," he said politely to the secretary, leaving me forgotten. "But I'm afraid I'm having a bit of an issue. Both my student record and acceptance letter didn't say what class I'm in. I talked to a couple of students and they're supposed to be in Class A or B. Which one am I in?"

"Ah, I'm having a similar issue," I said, finally finding my voice. "M-my student record says Class B at the top, but all of my other papers say Class A."

The secretary accepted both mine and the other student's records. She tapped away at the keyboard for a short while. I then looked at the guy that walked into the admissions office with me. He had gray eyes and a demeanor that made him seem like a rather calm and composed individual, harmless even.

"Oh, and who are you? I thought we only had one foreigner at the school in this class, wasn't expecting two."

 _Another foreigner? There's someone else here not from Japan aside from me. Perhaps he or she speaks English._

"I'm Nagito Komaeda. I'm Hope's Peak Academy's Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Oh, so you won the raffle." Of the few things I knew about Hope's Peak before attending, I knew about the country wide raffle they held to welcome the luckiest student out of _thousands_ to attend the academy.

"Yup, that's me. So, what's your talent?"

"O-oh? M-me? I-I'm the Ultimate Storyteller. My name's Alex. Alex Goldrose."

"Storyteller, huh? That's an interesting talent."

"Oh, you think?" I was getting a little embarrassed. I never thought of myself as that great.

"Mister Komaeda?" The secretary said.

"Yes?" Nagito turned towards the secretary.

"You are class assignment B. Sorry for the trouble. There was a misprint."

"Oh, I see, a misprint. I thought so. My dorm room key says Class B, so I thought that might be the case, but I thought I should come down here to check anyway. Sorry for the trouble."

"What about me?" I asked.

"Mr. Goldrose, apparently your paperwork was filed improperly thanks to the part on the forgetfulness of my associate that filled our Mr. Komaeda's paperwork."

 _You're kidding,_ I thought.

"One moment, I'll call the headmaster and see what he wants to do about this."

 _Doesn't that just mean I'm Class A,_ I thought.

"Well, while we're waiting, why don't you tell me a story?" Nagito asked.

"Um…" _Kind of putting me on the spot aren't you?_

"Come on, if you're the Ultimate Storyteller then you should be able to tell me a story off the top of your head right. Maybe one filled with hope?"

 _What's this guy's deal all of a sudden? Still…like a comedian, anywhere is my stage._ I cleared my throat. "S-so, here's something from my own experiences. When I was in sixth grade I took an exam of advanced level math. Apparently my math skills at the time were equivalent to that of the ningth grade level."

"Huh? And you're not the Ultimate Mathematician. That's kind of weird," Nagito said, sounding a bit confused.

"Well I…"

"Excuse me, Mr. Goldrose?"

"Hmm?" I looked at the secretary.

"Due to our filing error, the Headmaster is willing to let you attend either class as it suits you. Given the paperwork error, you're actually listed on both student rosters."

"Oh, wonderful," I said sarcastically.

"Well, why don't we check out Class B," Nagito said. "As long as there's an empty seat, you could sit in my class. I mean, it's one less person you have to get used to right."

 _He's a bit strange, but he seems like a good guy, a bit like myself even._ "Aww, what the hey? Why not?"

Nagito laughed. "Then it's settled. Thanks Ms. Hishikawa."

"Any time, boys. Have a good day."

* * *

On the way to Class 77-B, I told Nagito another story, this one fantastical about a princess and a dragon and the knight destined to rescue her. Unfortunately, I barely got past the prologue when we got to our destination.

"You can finish the story another time," Nagito said. "Come on, let's go in."

"Doesn't mean I'm staying," I said. "I mean, if you have a full class I'll have to go to Class A."

"Well no harm in taking a look," Nagito said. He slid open the door. Inside there were fourteen other students, thirteen sitting down, one up at the board. There was a gentleman sitting in the corner of the room looking at the student up at the board. He was dressed sharply with a fedora hat and blond hair. There were three empty seats in the room, but they were barely a passing thought at the moment. After all, in the classroom. I saw _her._

She looked at me with unexpected surprise, but then quickly averted her gaze. It didn't matter. I knew it was her just from her expression.

 _I'm staying,_ I thought.

"Pardon the intrusion," Nagito said, laughing it off. "We had a little mishap in the admissions office. Sorry we're late."

"That's all right. You boys can take a seat where you'd like, but Miss Nevermind's seat is the one right off to your left there, so if you could take a seat elsewhere."

"Sure, no problem."

 _Miss Nevermind?_ I looked straight ahead of me to see a girl with long blonde hair standing up at the board. She was decisively not Japanese. _So she's the other foreigner, huh?_ I thought.

"Welcome to our classroom," she said politely. Her voice was so full of energy. "I will re-introduce myself to you two. I am Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess from the nation of Novoselic."

 _Try fitting that on a business card,_ I thought, chuckling to myself at my clever comment.

Princess Nevermind gestured to the inside of the room. "Please, take a seat where you would like."

Nagito and I dispersed and I beat him to the seat closer to Mikan. It happened to be right behind her. I wanted to talk to her straightaway, but I thought it would be rude to interrupt a woman of Princess Nevermind's caliber.

"I am very much looking forward to being your classmate this year," she said. Her Japanese was _perfect_ without any roughness to it, unlike mine. "Please if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask for my assistance. A princess must listen to all of her subjects' needs."

 _What kind of talent is princess?_ I found myself thinking. _Isn't that just a status?_

Sonia continued to talk for a couple more minutes, stating things about her country's history and even speaking a few words in her native language. It sort of blipped out of my brain, but it was nice just to hear such a pleasant voice speak. After she was done talking, she bowed out gracefully and returned to her seat.

"Let's see, would one of our late attendees like to introduce themselves next to make up for disturbing the class?" My teacher asked. His name was on the board with an arrow pointing to it: Kizakura if I was reading the characters correctly.

"Oh, I suppose I'll volunteer then," Nagito said. He stepped in front of the board and wrote his name on it. "My name is Nagito Komaeda. I'm this year's charity case." A few of the students snickered. "I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student. I have exceptional luck. I don't think it's a very good talent, but apparently the school thinks otherwise."

"Would you care for a demonstration of your luck, Mr. Komaeda?" Kizakura-sensei asked.

"Aww, do I have to?" Nagito asked, sounding modest. He seemed like a very relaxed person that hardly took anything seriously.

 _What a nice guy,_ I found myself thinking.

"You don't _have_ to, but…" Kizakura-sensei said.

"Well…since you asked so nicely, why not?" Nagito took out a yen coin and played heads or tails a few times. He got it three times in a row, but on the fourth one the coin hit one of the lights and almost hit him in the eye on its return trip. Nagito laughed. "As you can see, my luck runs out eventually. Sometimes, a wave of bad luck precedes a wave of good luck or vice versa. It's like getting food poisoning from a candy bar only to win a sweepstakes with the ticket inside."

 _That's…a bit extreme,_ I found myself thinking.

"Anyway, I suppose that'll do it for my introduction. Why don't you come up here next, Alex? I'm sure your introduction will be _far_ more impressive than my own." On the walk over, Nagito had started calling me by my first name. "I wouldn't want to embarrass a foreigner with language barriers. You don't mind, do you?" He had nothing to worry about of course. The less honorifics I had to use here the better.

As Nagito returned to his seat, I stood in front of the class. It was at that moment that I got a good look at my classmates. Putting Mikan, Sonia and Nagito aside, I did my best to look at the strangers in the classroom. My fellow students seemed…animated for lack of a better word. Their appearances stuck out like sore thumbs. Except for the redhead. She seemed pretty normal to me. The buzz cut blond kid in the back left-hand corner of the room seemed pretty normal too if he didn't rudely have his feet up on his desk. The dark-skinned girl in the back was _really_ hot though. Seriously, I didn't even know boobs could get that big.

"What's the matter, got cold feet?" A short blonde with twin tails asked me. She was sitting right next to the red head.

"N-no…just…" I took a deep breath and smiled my best. "I'm just taking into account how unique my classmates are. I haven't met you all yet and back home everyone just kinda looked the same."

"Well what do you expect from a class of Ultimates?" Nagito asked. "Of course we're gonna stick out." His enthusiasm was a bit reassuring.

I cleared my throat. _Right then,_ I turned my back to my class, glancing back only once to make sure no one was arming a spit ball or anything like that. Incidentally my gaze fell upon Mikan's face briefly. Turning back to the board to hide my blush, I began writing my name on the board.

"My name," I said, my accented Japanese dialect seeping through. "Is Alex Goldrose. In English, you would spell I like this." I wrote my name in English below the katakana used to spell my name. "I'm the Ultimate Storyteller."

"Storyteller, huh?" One of the two fat guys in the class said, though this was the chef dressed one. "Anything…interesting?"

The way he said indicated his true intentions. I didn't let it get to me. _Japan gonna Japan,_ I thought. Never thought I'd run into an anime-level pervert in real life.

"Why don't you tell the whole class that story you were telling me in the hallway?" Nagito asked.

"I don't know if we have time for a story like that…" I said. I didn't know how long introductions were for each student.

"Take all the time you need. We're not going anywhere anytime soon," Kizakura-sensei said.

 _Just what the hell kind of school is this?_ I thought, smiling nervously. Nevertheless, it seemed like I had nothing to lose. So, I took a deep breath and began to tell my story. "Imagine a world, where everything tastes like chicken." I then took a dramatic pause. "Welcome to Earth."

I…did get the reaction I expected. Aside from one girl in my class with indescribably crazy hair going, "Woo-yeah," everyone else seemed kind of uninspired. A few chuckled, but I guess comedy isn't really my strong suit after all.

I laughed nervously. "Right, that wasn't the story, just a harmless little warm up. Forget I said it." I then cleared my throat and began to tell the real story. "In a faraway kingdom on a planet like our own, but not our own, there was a princess locked away in the tower. She was guarded by a great and powerful fire-breathing dragon. But unlike most stories this dragon had not kidnapped her for want of being evil, or personal gain. In fact, he had not kidnapped her at all. The dragon was a wise being and when the princess' kingdom had fallen, he took over the castle. The two were friends of a certain nature. He cooked for her and told her stories of other kingdoms that he had visited.

"Word spread quickly of this dragon and princess pair and like most stories, it got twisted in transition. Eventually, knights began to storm the castle in an attempt to rescue the princess. The dragon protested against the knights, but they would not listen, thinking him cunning and wicked."

Already I could see Mikan getting emotional, as if praying for things to work out all right between the princess and the dragon. One of my other classmates in a hoodie, who I was only now noticing had been playing a videogame, looked up at me, interested. All eyes were on me and I was starting to sweat, but I didn't let it bother me and just continued to exposit.

"Multiple kingdoms attacked the dragon and soon a moat dyed in blood surrounded the kingdom. No knight had surpassed the dragon's might and each fell to his fangs, claws and deadly fire breath. Years passed and princess was starting to ripen into a fine woman of twenty-seven. The dragon was also starting to weaken. Surrounded by blood and corpses, and having to constantly defend the princess from danger, he became sickly. His bright green scales turned white and fur began to appear on his scales. After years of assault, it seemed he would eventually expire."

The blond with his feet on the desk put them down. Even he was now listening intently.

"And then, a young knight appeared. He had just graduated from his duties as a squire. He was not the bravest of knights, nor the fiercest or the most intelligent, but he had a big heart and a gentle soul. He heard that the dragon could speak, which meant he could be reasoned with. Determined, he set off for the castle, not for the princess' hand and not to slay the dragon, but for the absolute truth regarding the two.

"When the young knight arrived at the castle, he saw all of the corpses, charred and bleeding strewn about. He did not let that deter him and he pressed onward, breaching the bridge and entering the marketplace. He saw naught but empty, closed stores. No one lived in this kingdom anymore…not after the fall. The princess was the only survivor.

"Twas not long before the dragon found the young knight and landed in front of him. Although he was old, weakened and sickly, he was still plenty powerful for one mere human. 'Human', the dragon said," I said as I deepened my voice to speak as the dragon. "Knights far and wide have come here to slay me and rescue the princess. You are just one man. What makes you think you can accomplish what an army cannot?"

"Mighty dragon,' the knight said," I said, using my natural speaking voice to give voice to the knight, "I am but a humble knight seeking naught but the truth. I am aware you could kill me very easily, but I am not here to do battle.' The knight cast his blade aside and got down on one knee. 'I have heard you are old and starting to weaken. This kingdom is the princess' home, but when you perish, she will have no one. Your hands are stained with so much blood. It is likely that no one will see you as anything, but a monster.' The knight looked the dragon in the eye. 'But I have a bright future ahead of me. I promise to protect the princess with everything I can, if you would allow it.'"

"She has lost all of her innocence," I said, resuming the dragon voice.

"That does not matter to me," I said, as the knight. "If you will not relinquish the princess peacefully, then I will go. I have no wish to bring myself to an early grave.' The dragon snorted and lifted his head far higher than the young knight could reach. 'You are wise, young knight. This secret test that I have posed to all who have come to take the princess, you are the one with the correct answer. I will wake her from her current slumber and I will see to it that you leave together. You have my blessing, young knight. Please take care…of my only friend.' Like that, the dragon flew off to wake the princess. As she descended from her bedroom to meet the young knight out in the market, the dragon used the last of his life force to rid the land of blood and corpses and then faded from existence. The princess and the knight looked at each other, both mourning for the dragon. Gripping the princess' hand tight, the knight escorted her out of her fallen, ruined kingdom and to his homeland. And the two would live…" I paused momentarily to see if anyone wanted to say it with me, but sadly, no one did, "Happily ever after." I bowed. "The end."

I got a round of applause from the entire class, some out of enthusiasm, others out of just common courtesy. Mikan, in particular, was sobbing, "That was so moving! That was such a good story!" she sobbed.

Nagito was smiling widely. "What a wonderful story, filled with hope overcoming despair."

I looked at my other classmates. There was a girl with gray hair and glasses with her eyes shut tight. She seemed to be trying not to cry. I looked at Princess Nevermind. She was smiling widely as she clapped. The others didn't seem to have terribly remarkable or moved expressions, but I was happy just to have their applause. _I guess I really do have a knack for this,_ I thought.

"Okay, you can sit down now," Kizakura-sensei told me.

"Ah, thank you," I said and took my seat.

"Next volunteer," Kizakura-sensei requested.

The next person to get up in front of the class was a guy jacked to high heaven. _What's he gonna be, SHSL Wrestler? SHSL Bodybuilder?_

In a deep, thundering voice, my classmate wrote his name on the board. "My name is Nekomaru Nidai! I am the Ultimate Team Manager!"

 _Team Manager?_ I thought. _A guy that buff? What did he do, decide directing sports was more fun than playing them?_

"Who can tell me what the three most important actions in the morning are?" Nekomaru demanded out of the class. No one said a word. "Hey! I'm asking a question here!"

Mikan timidly answered. "U-um…sh-showeri—"

"Wrong!" Nekomaru bellowed.

"Eek!" Mikan squeaked in terror.

"It's having a healthy breakfast! Doing wake-up morning exercises and TAKING A GOOD SHIT!"

 _Did he really have to scream that last part?_

After that Nekomaru began to go on and on about managing sports and how good he was at it. I…hate sports. I think athletes are over payed and overrated. I used to play hockey in elementary school as the goalie, but my reflexes dulled and I couldn't play shut out games anymore, so I devoted my time to my studies.

Nekomaru continued his speech in his loud, boisterous voice to the point where I wanted to ask him if he wanted some cheese with his hammy performance. However, I kept my mouth shut.

After Nekomaru finished, the next person to get up on stage was the really big-titted dark-skinned chick from the back of the room. And holy cow they were bigger close up. How the hell did they stay in her shirt? I wondered.

"The name's Akane Owari," she said, writing her name with the most crude katakana I'd ever seen. "I'm the Ultimate Gymnast…I guess."

 _She guesses? Shouldn't she know? …wait,_ _ **gymnast?**_ _Not with_ _ **those**_ _puppies!_

The more Akane talked, the more she seemed to just be a pretty face. Her intellect was in the gutter. The blood knight tendencies she was exhibiting didn't help my impression of her either. Overall, pretty to look at, but not my first choice. Still, if things didn't work out with Mikan, I could certainly do worse. She was probably the most well-endowed girl in the class, if not the school.

After Akane sat down, the next person to stand in front of the class was a very strangely dressed man. He had a scarf around his neck, wore two yellow earrings and apparently had heterochromia. He also had lightning bolt shaped paint going down his left eye. He was dressed in all black and his hair…well…I'd seen less weird in anime to be sure.

"My fellow students," his voice was probably how one would picture the devil himself speaking. "Remember my name well," she said. He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote his name on the board nice and big with unnecessary flair. "I AM GUNDHAM TANAKA! I am the man who will one day rule this world!"

Almost all of us in the class had expression of, "Is this guy for real?" written on our faces.

"I see you all are in disbelief of my abilities! Then behold, my pride and joys! GO MY FOUR DARK DEVAS OF DESTRUCTION!"

When four hamsters came crawling out of his clothing, I couldn't take it anymore. I planted my face into my desk and burst out laughing.

"You there!" Gundham barked. "Wizard of Words! You dare mock me? Shall we draw weapons and battle?"

I gulped. _Uh oh, I made him mad. Then again…I should've expected this._ If there was one thing I feared a lot…it was getting my ass kicked. Whether Gundham's explosive behavior was silly or not, and it was, guy still looked like he could kick my ass. Plus, hamsters bit really hard.

I stood up from my seat and bowed in apology. "I-I'm sorry for making fun of you, but…" I stood up and scratched my cheek, "do you mind toning it down a little…you're…kind of weirding us all out."

"I think he's wonderful!" Princess Nevermind exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Go on Tanaka-san. Continue." She stood up and cast her hand down, palm open, "Alex, please be seated."

 _No honorifics for me? Either she's doing the same thing as Nagito…or she hates me right about now._

I obeyed as Princess Nevermind requested and sat back down. Gundham then continued. "As I was reciting before I was mocked and interrupted," Gundham said, sending a glare my way. I winced. "I am Gundham Tanaka, this world's future ruler, but for now, consider me Hope's Peak Academy's Ultimate's Breeder."

… _okay that explains the hamsters. So…what…he looks into pedigrees? I wonder if he raises things besides hamsters._

"My fellow kin and rivals, how many of you are masters of the dark arts?" Everyone seemed to grow quiet. Gundham became disturbed. "Not a one of you? Do you dislike the animal kingdom that greatly?"

"Ohhhhh, I get it," Nagito suddenly said. "I think he's asking if any of us have ever had any pets."

"Ohhhhhhh," we all said collectively. My hand shot up into the air along with Princess Nevermind's, Nekomaru's, the blond boy whose name I didn't yet know, and the brunette with the bat hoodie and the portable game station.

"I see, so some of you are masters after all. I shall go around the room and assess your skills myself. I am the proud owner of no less than twenty-seven units, all of which their combined might shoots up to three thousand magic points! You there, Wizard of Words, what is your summon called?"

 _Wizard of Words? Is that what I am to him? Well…I guess if I want to apologize, I should probably humor the guy._ "Lo…" _Whoops, almost spoke in English for a moment._ I stood up and played Gundham's game to the best of my ability. "Tanaka-sama, I am but the owner of one simple summon." I thrust my arm out in front of me, palm spread. "My young feline companion of two years now. She is a Bengal Tabby! Her name is Selina!"

"A-A Bengal Tabby?" Gundham stuttered. He sounded impressed. "I see…I dreadfully underestimated you, Wizard," he said, folding his arms. "Still, one Bengal of two years, is hardly a feat. Thirty points. From whence did you procure her?"

"Um…from a shelter. She was a surrender case."

"I see, so you have a soft spot for the weak. Fifty points then. You may be seated, Wizard, but mark my words," Gundham adjusted his scarf with his bandaged left arm, "this is not the last time we will do battle!"

 _Ooookay, I can tell he's going to be a lively and strange one…jeez how did this guy get through public schooling with an attitude like that and not get picked on?_

"You there!" Gundham bellowed at the blond boy. "What is your summon?"

"I've got a dog. A Shikoku Inu. His name is Kira. My dad named him." The blond kid made a fist. "And he'd fuck your hamsters up any day!"

 _Okay, who pissed in his cereal this morning and are we really letting language like that in this classroom?_

"Hah! Merely a bluff! For you see, this is but their sleeping form! A mere canine is no match!"

"The fuck did you just say?" the blond boy bellowed.

"All right, that's enough, sit down Kuzuryu-kun." He seemed to be referring to the blond boy. Kuzuryu sat down.

"And you, mighty warrior, what is your summon's name?"

"I've got a dog too!" Nekomaru exclaimed. "Good ol' Boomerang. She's a Shiba Inu."

"Yet another canine. Still, I admire your devotion as masters. A full one hundred points to both of you."

 _Well…his ranking system is a bit strange._

"Yeah, whatever," Kuzuryu grumbled.

"And you, Electric Witch, what can you conjure?"

The girl that spoke had a very soft voice. I watched her pull up something on screen. "I don't know if it counts, but I raise Tamagachi and play virtual pet games." She pulled her hoodie up. "I don't own any real life pets. My parents won't let me."

"Bah! Mere trivialities. But I admire your attempts to be an apprentice. I am certain you will find a summon worthy to call your own on the mortal plane one day."

The girl smiled. "I hope so too."

"And now for you, Queen of Darkness, what do you possess?" Gundham asked Princess Nevermind.

"Well…" Princess Nevermind began listing names of pets she owned and from what I could tell was naming the species in perfect Latin. I didn't know what she was talking about, but apparently Gundham did and he looked baffled. "C-cease your tongue, lying she-cat! You claim to own _all_ these creatures?"

Princess Nevermind smiled. "They all live in the Novoselic Royal Garden."

Gundham began to sweat a little. "Such power…it is unheard of. You…you are not human. You are definitely a low-ranking demon! Only a demon could possess power that could rival my own!"

"Oh, I'm flattered, truly," Princess Nevermind said with a sweet smile.

"Y-yes…w-well," Gundham said, seeming nervous, "That concludes my presentation." He bowed gracefully. "Thank you very much." The Four Dark Devas then jumped on his back and all posed and bowed before digging back into Gundham's clothes as he took his seat.

 _I don't know what I find weirder, his hamsters or his behavior._

Without skipping a beat, the pink haired guy in the class took to the stage. "Th-the name's K-Kazuichi Soda. I'm the Hope's Peak Academy Mechanic of Ultimate." Okay, my Japanese wasn't the best and even I realized he fucked it up. "Gah! I said it backwards." He turned around and frantically wrote his name on the board, realizing he hadn't done so. "Uh…r-right s-so l-like I said, m-my name is Kazuichi Soda."

 _Wait, that's actually his name?_ I didn't realize I was snickering and I wasn't the only one. The blonde with the twin tails next to me was doing it too. I tried to quiet down, but she kept laughing and I wound up not being able to squelch it.

"H-hey! Wh-what the hell is so funny?" Soda demanded.

"You mean besides the fact that you botched your introduction and your last name is the name of a beverage?" the blonde cackled.

"H-hey, I like my last name. Screw you!"

At that exact moment I stopped laughing, but not because I didn't think Soda's…no Kazuichi's last name was funny. The way he had barked back at the blonde. It…sounded how I used to bark at people…the day I learned to stand on my own. _Bully victim,_ I thought. The guy must've been trying to reinvent himself. It would explain the pink hair. I had no right to pick on someone like that. I simply shut my mouth and sat up straight in my seat.

Unfortunately, the blonde didn't cease her antics. "Is your mommy's name Coke or Pepsi?"

"Hey! You shut up! Just shut your mouth!"

"All right, that's enough Saionji-chan!"

"It's Hiyoko!" the blonde barked.

 _Hiyoko Saionji, huh?_ I wondered. I took a deep breath. _I'd better keep an eye on her._ She was short, but she was feisty. And she had the makings of a real bully, like Angelica Pickles, but so much older.

"A-anyway, like I said I'm the Ultimate Mechanic. If anything needs fixing like a car, an AC, or dishwasher, I'm your guy. I invent things too. My dream is to build a rocket ship from complete scratch."

 _Guy dreams big…well,_ I looked over at Gundham, _In a rational way. I should probably try to get on this guy's good side, might save my folks a lot of electrical bills in the long run._

Kazuichi went on and on about mechanical jargon that didn't make sense to me before taking his seat. After he sat down, Kuzuryu, the blond kid from earlier, got up to talk. "Right, so like Kizakura-sensei said earlier, the name's Kuzuryu, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko. I'm the Ultimate Yakuza!"

… _Oh fuck._ I could feel my entire body trembling in its seat. A true and tried Yakuza? I was practically classmates with a death dealer. Boyish face or not, fucking with those guys was not an option. _Gundham, you have stoooooones!_ I exclaimed, remembering how he pissed Kuzuryu off earlier.

"If anyone makes a wisecrack in this class about my height or how I look, I'll be sure to make them sorry. I don't give a fuck about any of you motherfuckers. This whole school to me is nothing, but a way to for me to cement my status as heir to the Kuzuryu clan. And if any of you bastards get in my way, I'll show you what businessmen like me do to scumbags like you. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" I exclaimed.

"Well, listen to that, a mongrel that knows his place."

I gulped. _Please don't cut my fingers off,_ I sweated.

Kuzuryu grinned in a very unsettling way. "Just for that, you get a freebee the first time you cross me. I'll remember this respect, gaijin."

I nodded vehemently. Strangely, I was the only one. Was no one else scared of this guy? He was a mafia kid. One false move and he'd have all our heads and not even the school's awesome security system could do anything about it. I suspected at least Mikan to be scared like me, but she wasn't even flinching. Still, I didn't think my actions were _wrong_ , at least, not from my viewpoint. _If only Miaka was here,_ I thought. Miaka was my old pen pal from the fourth grade. She lived in Japan, but…fat chance of her being here. I mean, she is a pretty talented cosplayer, but Ultimate? I didn't think that was likely. My luck isn't Nagito's.

After Kuzuryu sat down, the next person to stand and talk was Mikan herself. Her hand shook as she wrote her name on the board. "U-um…I-I'm M-Mikan T-Tsumiki th-the Ultimate Nurse. U-um…i-if anyone gets sick, I promise to nurse them back to health to the best of my ability. S-so please…I-I hope we can all get along."

To ease Mikan, I tried smiling kindly, hoping she was looking right at me. She was either too nervous to notice or to care. "U-um…" she continued. "I…I've actually administered shots before. A-and I know th-thirty-three ways to cure the common cold. U-um…" she looked worried. "I-I don't have a demonstration l-like e-everyone else s-so…"

"That's all right, Tsumiki-chan. You can sit down," Kizakura-sensei told her.

 _Seriously, show the poor thing mercy._

Mikan sat down and looked at timid as ever. "Hey," I whispered to her. "You were fine up there."

"U-um…y-you think so?"

I nodded. My words seem to brighten Mikan up. She actually smiled. I blushed. Her smile was…so cute. Oh if only I could've seen that smile for longer. It was short lived as Hiyoko got up to talk.

"So like you guys have probably figured out by now, my name is Hiyoko Saionji, but I prefer you guys all call me Hiyoko. I don't want to be associated with my family name, got it?"

 _Short and short-tempered, got it,_ I thought.

"My talent is traditional dancing, hence my glorious kimono," she said, doing a twirl. She then threw her arms up into the air and spread her arms wide. "I also like to squish things, like Mikan's face."

"Wh-what?" Mikan blurted out in a mess of tears. Her outburst drowned out the sound of me pounding my fist against my desk.

 _Must…resist…urge…to punch her._ It was clear, this little blonde brat was a straight up bully. And I was _not_ going to let her stand there and insult a girl as innocent as Mikan like that. Kazuichi was one thing, but with Mikan that was a line I felt I wouldn't let anyone cross.

"So I guess that's that I suppose. I don't exactly have room to do a routine in here with the room so cramped like this."

"That's fine, Hiyoko-chan, you can take your seat," Kizakura-sensei told her.

"Sure thing, sensei." Hiyoko went and sat down.

"My turn!" The girl with the really weird hair style exclaimed and got up in front of the class. I just stared blankly. _It's like Ryuko Matoi and Stocking Anarchy had a baby,_ I thought.

"Howdy!" The girl exclaimed and wrote her name on the board. "Normally Ibuki does a little intro for her name, which she likes so much, but since Kizakura-sensei asked me to write my name on the board, I'll just come out and say it for those of you that can't read. Ibuki is Ibuki as in Ibuki Mioda! It's nice to meet you all!"

 _Cute name,_ I thought. … _Wait a second, haven't I heard that name before?_

"Meoooow!"

I had to do a double take. _What?_ I had no idea where _that_ came from.

"Ibuki is the Ultimate Musician! Ibuki's favorite instrument is the guitar! And while's going solo right now," Ibuki pointed her hands like guns towards us all, "She's totally down for a new band member. Auditions accepted at any time!"

 _Huh, a genuine third person talker and, wow, her personality and fashion sense DO not match._

Ibuki thrust her arm high into the air. "Ibuki would be happy to give anyone a private concert in the music room at any time. She's pretty much gonna eat, sleep and breathe there." Ibuki posed with a V-sign over her face, a sparkle appearing in her one open eye. "And I do mean _anyone_."

 _Right, so she swings both ways. Not very subtle, is she?_

"Right then, this concludes Ibuki's introduction! Nice to have metcha!" She then hummed to herself and went to sit down.

"Well, Nanami-chan, you're the only one left," Kizakura-sensei said. No one answered him. "Nanami-chan."

"One second." It was the girl with the bat hoodie and the game station.

 _Jeez, and my parents said I'm obsessed. Also, I guess that means I missed the others._

Nanami put her game away and then walked up to the chalkboard. She wrote her name on the board in rather blocky katakana. It must've been the gaming influence. "My name is Chiaki Nanami. I'm the Ultimate Gamer.I like all games across all genres, even the bad ones."

 _Remind me to introduce her to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and we'll see just how true that statement is._

"But, personally speaking, I like mostly retro games, consoles that are at least two generations behind the leading market. If you neglect the classics, you're neglecting everything that brought you what you love now. At least…that's how I see it."

… _I feel like all of my Xbox Gamerscore isn't worth shit anymore. That was far deeper than anything I could say about gaming._

She looked at Kizakura-sensei. "May I sit down now?"

"No need. That concludes introductions. I'll come around and collect everyone's papers and you guys can come back to the class at your leisure to fill out some forms. I'll see you all around." He took out a flask and removed the cap with his teeth. "Class dismissed." He then began to drink out of it.

Thanks to my mishap with Nagito, we missed the introductions of the others, but I got their names and talents before leaving class: Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer, Teruteru Hanamuta, the Ultimate Chef, Ryota Mitarai, the Ultimate Animator, and Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Swordsman. All in all, I felt…fortunate to have been able to sit in on Class 77-B, especially since one of the students was a no show.

 _Three cute girls and one really hot one all due to a little paperwork hiccup. Since when does my luck work out like that?_ I wondered. _Maybe it's Nagito's influence?_ I shrugged. Since I had nowhere to be, I figured it would be a god idea for me to go around and introduce myself to the others. And with that, I hoisted my black backpack onto my shoulders and ventured through the school to try and make some friends in a country that didn't know me from a hole in the wall.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

With class dismissed, I thought the first thing I should do was make amends with Kazuichi. To that end, I marched to the school store, purchased a candy bar for 200 yen and went looking for him. With sharp intuition, I found him near his dorm room. He was packing a flatbed up with a whole stockpile of tools and machinery.

"Need a hand?" I asked.

"Huh?" He seemed surprised by my presence.

"You won't do much without a little extra oomph in your system. Probably been a while since you had breakfast and it's way too soon for lunch. Catch." I tossed him the candy bar.

"Uh…thanks?" He said, still confused as he caught. "Er…I can really have this?"

"Yeah, why not?" I shrugged.

Kazuichi shrugged and unwrapped it. "Ikadimasu…I guess." He took a big bite out of it. "Oh man this is great. Thanks, man."

"You're welcome. And," I bowed what I considered low enough to make amends, "sorry…about…earlier."

"Nah, it's cool. People used to make fun of me all the time for it."

"I can imagine," I said, standing up straight. "I'm sure even Hiyoko's comment was nothing new to you."

"Heh…so…why are you suddenly being so nice to me? You were snickering pretty loudly earlier."

I rubbed the back of my head. "I…didn't realize you were also a bully victim trying to reinvent himself. That's why I came to apologize."

"Uh, thanks. I appreciate it." After a brief pause he added. "Wait, what do you mean also?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," I said.

"Damn, you sounded so calm up in front of everyone, even though you're a foreigner." He pushed up the hat on his head and rubbed his hair. "I screwed up my whole introduction."

I laughed a little. "It happens."

"Yeah, but it's even worse when you're trying to impress a girl, you know!"

 _Oh, I see. He was trying to impress a girl. I bet I know which one._ It was a pretty simple answer. Even if this was a videogame and I was presented with three choices, my intuition made the answer pretty obvious. "Princess Nevermind?"

"Eh, how'd you figure that out?"

"Well, you went up right after Tanaka did and she seemed pretty taken by him. I figured you were trying to make a good impression."

"Yeah and I blew it. H-hey, d-do you think I have a shot with her?" Kazuichi asked me honestly.

"Uhhhhh…"

"Oh, I see. You think it's hopeless too, don't you?"

"N-no. G-give me a moment to think," I said. Unfortunately, thinking didn't really change my answer from what Kazuichi just said. Still, if I aimed to be friends with this guy, it was probably best I boosted his spirits a little. "W-well…I think if you're persistent and act like a gentleman, she might come around…maybe."

"Y-you think so?"

I shrugged. "Anything's possible, I suppose."

"Yeah, yeah you're right!" Kazuichi exclaimed and smacked his fist into his open palm. "Right then! I'm not gonna give up! I'm going to make Miss Sonia like me!"

"Okay, you can start by referring to her a tad more respectful than that."

"Huh? Oh, that's right you were late. She gave us all permission to simply call her Miss Sonia. She said she didn't want any barriers between her and her classmates given she's not representing the kingdom of Novoselic and she's just here to learn."

"Oh, that's…interesting," I said.

Kazuichi's eyes began to glow. "Which is why I really think I might have a shot. I can picture it now."

As I saw the look on Kazuichi's face, I could only thank to god this was real life and I wasn't treated to whatever fantasy was rolling around in his mind. "Keep it in your pants, dude. Anyway, want some help lugging all this stuff. Where's this going anyway?"

"Out in the schoolyard," Kazuichi said. "The school can provide me with all the equipment and tools I need. So I'm going to get started on my rocket ship!"

"Well, if I can help out in any way, let me know." I extended my hand for Kazuichi to shake. "I'm afraid I don't understand very much mechanical technical jargon, but I can at least be good for steadying something or handing you tools when you can't exactly walk away for the moment."

"Heh, if I needed that kinda help I wouldn't be the Ultimate Mechanic," Kazuichi chuckled. He shook my hand regardless though. "But hey, if you really wanna help, I'll find a way to make it happen. Hell, you could always get me more supplies or check things for me just to save a little time."

"Sounds good," I said and a friendship was immediately born.

After that I continued to help Kazuichi load his flatbed and helped him push it out into the middle of campus. He told me he could unload it himself since he still needed to plan the foundation and draft up the blueprint. He said I could drop by from time to time and I was free to tell him any stories rolling around in my head. I winked, gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and returned to the classroom.

When I arrived, I looked at my phone to check the time. There was still some time before I was going to be hungry for lunch. I guess that gave me time to hang with one more of my classmates.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

While I initially thought to go hang out with Mikan, I was…nervous. I didn't want to overwhelm the poor girl immediately after meeting her. Not to mention when I poked my head into the nurse's office, she didn't seem to be there and I had no idea where to look for her. So, I headed out around campus to look for any of my new classmates. I also decided to get a good feel for the campus. It was really big. Even my middle school campus, which was already pretty big, wasn't as green and extravagant as Hope's Peak Academy.

After wandering around for a while, I found Chiaki sitting on a bench in front of the school fountain. She had this tranced look on her face like she was really engrossed in whatever it was she was playing. Curious, I peeked over her shoulder to see what she was up to. It looked like a fantasy RPG and it looked like she was engaged in a boss fight.

"Cool game," I said. Chiaki said nothing and just continued to press buttons accordingly to get her characters to fight. I stayed silent and watched her defeat the enemy monster, which turned out to be a bonus boss of some variety given there was no cutscene afterwards. She then yawned, saved her game and shut off the console.

"Sleepy," she mumbled and then hung her head down. She snored really loudly.

… _maybe I should go,_ I thought. However, no sooner had I tiptoed around the bench, Chiaki bolted awake.

"Oh, Goldrose-kun, hello."

"You can call me Alex, if you want," I said. "Probably best everyone does." _Goldrose-kun? Boy she gets familiar with people fast it seems._

"…I see," Chiaki said.

 _The hell was with that pause._

"Did you want something?"

"Actually I had a question for you, or rather a few questions."

"Go ahead," Chiaki said, continuing to listen.

"You said you liked all games across all genres, even the bad ones. Are you sure about that statement? I know some real stinkers."

"There are no bad games, only bad gamers."

"Even games where the control system is horrendous? I know a game where you have to hit select on an NES controller to do a more powerful move than a wimpy punch."

Chiaki's eyes lit up. "You know about Toxic Crusaders?"

"W-well…I haven't…played it. I just…I've watched a gamer online. He calls himself the Angry Video Game Nerd. He tells gamers not to play certain games because of how bad they are."

"…I see."

 _Again, what's with that pause?_

"I feel gamers are free to choose what games they like and don't like. Gaming is subjective. Not everyone is good at every type of game."

"You didn't exactly answer my question, do you really think there are only bad gamers when the control scheme and hit detection are ridiculous. And what about games that are completely impossible to win because of the coding?"

"…are you having fun?"

"Huh?"

"Gaming isn't about winning or losing, just like sports. If you're having fun in your failures, does it matter if you can win or beat the game?"

I blinked.

"It's true that games, by their very nature, are supposed to be designed to be completed or to obtain a high score if completion is not possible, but we used to be saturated with a market of unfinished, unpolished games."

"Like Takeshi's Challenge?"

Chiaki pulled her hoodie up over her head. "…I don't like to talk about that one."

 _Seems there are games even Chiaki doesn't like._

"Okay so maybe not _all_ bad games I like." She pulled her hoodie down. "But there are plenty of bad games I find enjoyably flawed, and plenty of bad games where I feel people complain more about the difficulty than trying to actually see that the game isn't impossible."

"Like Ninja Gaiden?"

"Exactly like that," Chiaki said with a smile. "It's hard, but it's not impossible."

"So do you like mainstream franchises?" I asked.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Chiaki asked.

"…are you a Pokémon fan?"

"O-of course I am!" Chiaki exclaimed, getting excited. She stood up immediately. "It's one of my favorites!"

"…this is a longshot, but you wouldn't still happen to have your old save file for the original…well I guess here in Japan it's Red and Green Version."

"I even have my link cable!" Chiaki exclaimed. "Do you want to battle?"

"Er, tomorrow. I don't have my Gameboy on me, unfortunately. Are you sure though? The Ultimate Gamer might meet her match."

Chiaki gave me a competitive look. She even thrust her arm forward, palm outspread. "When it comes to Pokémon, I won't be beaten!"

"Then why don't we meet back here tomorrow at this exact time? We'll see who's the true old school Pokémon Master!"

"Looking forward to it!" Chiaki exclaimed and our eyes met with a competitive stare. I could almost see our clothes transforming in my mind into Pokémon outfits. And, I had to admit, picturing Chiaki dressed as a Pokémon trainer was kind of cute, especially with her face pent up and competitive like that. _Guess I found yet another potential girlfriend,_ I thought.

After our competitive glances ceased, I sat down with Chiaki on the bench discussing the kinds of games we liked and played recently. Well…at least until she decided she wanted to take a nap on the bench. I invited her to lunch, but she declined. She was too tired.

And that was how my first pre-lunch time at Hope's Peak Academy came to a close. With that, I headed for what my student handbook said was the best Cafeteria on campus. Unsurprisingly, Teruteru was making food for the entire school and had been since homeroom was dismissed. A whole buffet spread was laid out. Even non-traditional Japanese food was laid out, including lox. It seemed Teruteru had even made his own cream cheese spread. I loaded up my plate with some home style favorites, and even the chef's recommended choice of beef and potato stew.

As I looked around for a seat though, I had trouble spotting my classmates. Between the 76th and 75th classes of Hope's Peak Academy, finding the dozen or so members of the 77th class I'd just met was rather difficult. I was lost in a sea of school uniforms mixed with brazen attires.

As I wandered through the cafeteria with my loaded tray, suddenly a voice called out to me, one I would recognize anywhere. "Hey, what's the matter? Are you just going to stand there all day until your food gets cold or are you going to find a place to sit?"

I turned sharply to see a girl my age dressed teal jacket and a white tank top. She had white hair, but it had to be a wig since I knew it wasn't her natural hair color or style—she disliked using hair dye. She also had a fake black flower accessory in her hair. She had on a black skirt and boots that came half-way up to her knees. The clothing on her looked a bit unnatural, but only to the trained eye. Anyone passing through wouldn't have taken a second look at her clothes.

But I did and that was only because one last part of this person's attire was throwing off her whole act: her magenta eyes. And I knew that under that white wig there was a head of green hair with a flattened ahoge hiding as well. And how did I know this, because this person was my old pen pal: Miaka Senri.

I almost dropped my tray and settled for setting it aside on an empty table. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?" I exclaimed. I ran over to her and raised my arm to try and hug her, only to put it down seconds later. This cafeteria was huge. There were people everywhere. In America, such a greeting would've been okay, but Miaka wasn't anywhere _close_ to being my girlfriend. Rumors would spread like I wouldn't believe if I crossed that line. So, I just rubbed the back of my head and smiled.

Still, Miaka and I went way back, even before she was considered a sensation. Our schools had a pen pal program set up back in the fourth grade and we were randomly chosen out of a hat to be each other's pen pals. We'd been talking and chatting since. It's thanks to Miaka that I even like anime and know most of the videogames I've played. I also have her to _blame_ for the truly bizarre ones.

"I guess you could call me," Miaka said with a smirk, "Miaka Senri, the Ultimate Cosplayer! Now come on, don't just stand there, let's get a table. Follow me."

I followed Miaka towards a table she had her eye on. It was near the window and over looked the campus.

"Communication is a two-way street though. You could've told me you were attending Hope's Peak Academy too."

"Just sort of slipped my mind I guess. Man, when was the last time we spoke to each other? January?"

"I think so, actually. And I don't think we've seen each other's faces in much longer than that," Miaka added.

"Yeah, two years I think." I looked down at her chest. "Still flat I see."

"Oh, you're an asshole," she said, taking a friendly, passing swipe at my head. She then thrust her head into the air. "Dear boy, you have no appreciation for my end of the boob spectrum."

"I really don't," I chuckled. Miaka just grunted in annoyance. "Still doesn't mean I don't appreciate you."

"Whatever." Miaka sat down and pulled over a nearby chair, removing her wig and setting it down upon it. Instantly her ahoge became noticeable, as did her green hair. "Well, sit down, I wanna here how my little gaijin friend is managing to find himself in the Land of the Rising Sun."

"You're funny," I said dryly.

"I know I am," Miaka said with a smile, ignoring my tone of voice and simply taking my words at face value.

I simply grumbled as I sat down. "I've been okay. Starting today I'm the Ultimate Storyteller. But I'm way more curious about you." I leaned forward and smirked, resting my chin against the back of my hand. "When talking to a lady, always give her the floor first. That's one of my rules."

"Yeah, nice try. You're no Godot, but fine. I suppose I'll go first. Okay, Mr. Storyteller, why don't you just sit back and let your old friend Miaka tell you about the day she's had up until now."

"Sure, you have my undivided attention." I then sat back, relaxed and listen to Miaka exposit about her first ever morning at Hope's Peak Academy.

* * *

 **(A/N: And done with chapter one. A bit of an extended introduction, but I promise things are gonna pick up fast. I didn't want to say too much at the beginning, but I try to make my Author Avatar come across how I would respond to situations, even if they're not how I actually feel as a meta perspective. Perfect example: I'm sorry, but if Gundham was a real person I could not take him seriously. As a fictional character though, I think Gundham is a freaking boss! Hiyoko and Mikan though are spot on for how I really feel. In fact, regarding Hiyoko, if I can borrow a line from Gundham, "YOU WILL BURN IN THE FIRES OF PANDEMONIUM!" But then again, who** _ **doesn't**_ **hate Hiyoko.**

 **The whole point of my avatar, if you couldn't already tell, is that he's supposed to be an American immigrant so while I have to follow Japanese cultural norms, I still** _ **think**_ **like an American. It makes it easier to maneuver through the story. And since Sonia is a foreigner, no reason they can't have two non-Japanese born students. Of course, this will come with its fair share of complications as you'll see soon enough.**

 **Anyway, please continue reading as this is only the beginning of your therapy session. I've reintroduced you to some friendly faces. Like I said, there's a reason this story is called One Year Ahead, One Mile Behind. We are all Junko's senpais, but none of us actually know what she's up to, so we're a mile behind her in the planning stages, but I have my time to set things on a new historical course to forever prevent her from doing the shit she pulled in canon? Will I succeed, well, as you might've guessed already, I'm not alone. Miaka Senri will take the reins next chapter to show off her class, 77-A. Things are about to get quite interesting. Until then, see you next time).**


	2. First Day of Hope's Peak, Miaka-hen

**(A/N: And without further ado, I turn things over to my co-writer. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Miaka Senri's creator!)**

 **(CA/N: I know Alex did a huge expository note at the end of the last chapter about his character, but I prefer to let narrative speak for itself so I'm not going to say much. Having said that, If you thought you'd get a break from the perving on girls Alex did last chapter, prepare to be surprised.)**

* * *

The word talent holds many meanings in our lives. "Oh, he won that award because he is so talented." "Oh, you got that promotion because you're so talented." I feel as though the world has become oversaturated and blinded by such a word. Having talent does not mean you are more impressive than others. When you are talented, you specialize only in your talent. Your course is set. Your future is decided. Is it not so much more fun to have many doors open to you? To let your future be unknown, to let fate run its course? What's the point of reading a story if you already know the ending?

My name is Miaka Senri. And…starting today, I am known as Hope's Peak Academy's Ultimate Cosplayer.

I've liked dressing up as others ever since I was little. Since I was never sure what I wanted to be growing up, I always liked to be whatever I wasn't. As I grew older, my desire flourished and I put more energy into my costumes. I never thought that this passion, this dedication, would soon become the chains that constrict me towards a fixed future. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate what I've become, but the truth is, I've always wanted to be a game designer. And that is why, though I attend it, I dislike Hope's Peak Academy to some degree. True, my "talent" is in cosplaying. When someone is with me, I can make them feel like they're actually meeting the character I'm dressed up as. I've also mastered the art of quick change to give myself the ability to switch characters quickly. But even so, I wish to carve my own path.

Having said that, there are reasons I could not refuse Hope's Peak Academy's acceptance. One was for the whole "set for life" thing. That sounded like a pretty sweet deal. Secondly, I wished to be treated like a normal peer, not a celebrity. My cosplay…talent has brought with it no shortage of gawking fans at anime conventions. Perhaps at a school like this, I would be treated more normally. Lastly…ah…maybe I shouldn't go into that now. …It's kind of personal.

But that's not important now, what's important is how I made a brand new start here at this prestigious academy. Hope's Peak Academy permitted all students to be on campus a week before classes actually began. This was to accommodate students that would need excessive moving loads to fit everything they needed into their dorm rooms. I took extreme advantage of that. Once I leave Hope's Peak, I don't ever plan on going back home. There's nothing for me there. Ah, I've said too much.

After the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy dismissed us from the entrance ceremony, I made my way across the school to my homeroom: 77-A. I was one of the first to arrive, sharing a room with two students. One was a girl in a red sweater with black pigtails. She was wearing a black skirt, brown shoes and a pair of black stockings that came almost all the way up to her ass. The other student was a dude with tanned skin, cream on his nose, and wearing a Hawaiian shirt that was blue with palm trees all over it that wasn't buttoned up at all.

 _Ugh, Hawaiian, shirts, really? That's so tacky!_ I looked at the girl. _Hmm, nice twin tails. Not too busty either. Like those hips too. I wonder if she works out given legs like those._

As I waited for the room to fill in, I stared out the window, rapping my knuckles against the desk, daydreaming. It wasn't long before my entire class had filled out, but our teacher still hadn't arrived. He arrived ten minutes after everyone else had. He had a unibrow, thick gray, but short hair atop his head and was wearing a lab coat with a green button-down shirt. He appeared to be carrying a journal of some kind as he strolled into the room. I then noticed him take a pencil out of his ear. "My apologies, there was a paperwork hiccup at the admissions office, so I had to go down there to take care of it." His voice was brittle with age, but I believed I recognized the dialect. Kanto perhaps? He continued speaking. "At my age even long walks can take forever. Now then, I'm afraid I'm bad with names so to help me, I'm going to have each of you come up to the board and introduce yourselves. Please write your names on the board in clear katakana, declare your talent to your fellow students and, if you would like, demonstrate your talent for the rest of the class."

A student in the back of the room raised their hand. He had unkempt black hair, parted in either direction. It was long-ish for a boy. He also had yellowish-green eyes like wasabi mixed with mustard. He was wearing a white-button down shirt and a black tie.

"Yes," our teacher said, "A question?"

"Isn't it of the utmost necessity that the instructor give his or her name _first_?" my classmate asked rudely. "Or are you so incompetent you can't even remember the basics?"

 _Nice first impression, jackass!_ I thought.

"Ah, my apologies. I am Professor Saborou Shirogane. I am a former Ultimate Zoologist from this very academy. For years, I researched the animal kingdom, documenting several different types of species across all clades and phyla world-wide. Now I am a teacher here at this academy," Professor Shirogane held up a finger and gave an all-knowing, but gentle smile, "because when it comes right down to it, documenting the wide variety of talents isn't that different from documenting animals and their behavior."

"Professor Shirogane," I heard a student of mine mutter behind me. I turned my head. The girl speaking had a well-proportioned body, wearing a proper skirt, an open blazer over a beige sweater with a white shirt underneath. I couldn't tell if she was wearing her old middle school uniform or just had impeccable fashion sense. She even had a nice, short red necktie tied to her shirt. It only came down to her collar though. She had brown hair that almost reached her shoulders and brown eyes with a slight mix of red in them. From her almost inaudible muttering, she then raised her voice, "Wait, are you _that_ Professor Shirogane? I've read some of your material in magazines."

"Oh? I see some of you have heard of me before."

"Yes, I had to do a report on the Emperor Sea Slug in elementary school. I quoted your article quite often."

Profess Shirogane chuckled happily. "I am happy to hear that my work has already touched my students' hearts. My dear, would you like to volunteer to be first, seeing as how you are already speaking."

"I don't see why not," the girl said and strolled towards the front of the class. She had the grace of a proper lady, perhaps like a military woman. This was the gait of someone you would often see taking leadership roles in RPGs. From what little I heard her speak, I also suspected she was very used to giving out orders and commands. This woman was an alpha female, no question about it.

She stood in the front of the room and held up a piece of chalk. She only glanced enough to look at the board so that her katakana was crisp and legible, keeping her eyes focused on the class.

"My name is Anzu Hayabusa," she said and promptly put her chalk down. "People have come to refer to me as the Ultimate Astronaut. I've been studying astronomy since I was four. The stars and how we reach them have fascinated me from Russia's Sputnik I to America's Apollo 11 moon landing. I believe though, that with our technology and with a woman's strong hands on the reins," Hayabusa made a fist in front of her shoulder, "we are certain to reach Mars before any other nation in the world. I've already begun research to increase a shuttle's engine efficiency so that it's quieter, faster and far more fuel efficient than what we're using now. The specifics of my research would likely bore you all, so I'll spare you the technical jargon. Regardless of how it happens, I have a dream to be the first woman to set foot on Mars."

 _That's impressive,_ I thought. Dreaming big was good, it gave you a reason to get up in the morning other than the fact that your body told you to do it.

"People call space the final frontier and I believe that one day not only will we colonize other moons and planets, but humanity will stretch itself beyond the furthest stars. And before the end of my life, I hope to help us make that next giant leap for mankind." She clasped her hands over her stomach and prepared to bow. "This concludes my introduction." She bowed at a precise right angle. "Thank you."

Our class clapped obligatorily as Hayabusa took her seat. "Who would like to be next?" Professor Shirogane asked me?

"I'll go next," The dark-skinned guy I had first shared this classroom with said. He waltzed up to the board and wrote his name down. "Name's Shunpei Miyazawa, the Ultimate Surfer!"

 _Yup, figures with that attire,_ I thought.

"I was born on a cruise ship, see? Me parents were en route to a tropical island cause surfing's in me family's blood. Me dad's Australian, me mom's Japanese."

 _Oh god it's worse than I thought._ It was like an unholy fusion of Japanese and Australian dialects. It felt like true sacrilege to the Japanese language.

"I been all over the world learning to surf from me dad. Course, I surpassed his skill when I was nine. Rode a twenty-footer without any trouble and I ain't never wiped out neither. Me dream is to ride out in the middle of a bad storm and ride wave bigger than any surfer done before, maybe while hanging ten. As it stands, the biggest wave I ever ridden's only thirty-five feet, you see. And ladies," Miyazawa flashed his pearly whites and gave a thumb's up, "I didn't get this good by taking it easy. Always room for a Shelia in me life."

 _Pass,_ I thought. And that wasn't just because of the playboy vibes. Honestly, it was pretty ambiguous if he was that type of guy or not. Either way, there was no way I was getting tangled up with some muscle head.

Miyazawa then took his seat, all of us clapping obligatorily for his introduction. After that poor excuse for a Baywatch character reject, the next person to stand in front of the classroom seemed much more…normal. He was wearing a collared, navy blue shirt with a partially buttoned front, as in the buttons didn't go all the way down the shirt and stopped at the chest area. His jeans were pretty average and his build wasn't anything to write home about. He also had a mop top of red hair and brown eyes. He stood behind Professor Shirogane's desk after writing his name on the board as he spoke.

"My fellow students, my name is Kazuya Torajima," he said. He bowed after introducing himself. He seemed pretty humble and on the level.

 _So far so good,_ I thought.

"I'm known as the Ultimate Archery Pro," he said with confidence. "My grandfather owns a Yumi that saw real combat back in the Edo period. It's a family heirloom that's been passed down through the Torajima bloodline." Torajima took a stance as though he was trying to nock an arrow on an invisible bow and pulling the arrow back, taking aim at the back wall. "Archery is in my family's blood. One of the most interesting facts that few people know about archery is that it's easier to shoot and have greater momentum without crossing the arrow diagonally across the bow. If you keep the arrow along the same side of the bow as your drawing hand, you'll actually get greater accuracy and penetration."

 _Penetration? Um, phrasing?_

"Also, historically, it was very rare for archers to carry their quivers on their backs. Usually this was to transport heavy amounts of arrows between battles. In actual battles archers would remain mobile, holding a handful of arrows at once, shooting as they ran, unless of course they were in formation, like the Persians."

One of our classmates raised their hand. Unsurprisingly it was the same rude guy from before. Torajima pointed to him and acknowledged his hand being raised. "Yes?"

"If you're the Archery Pro of this school, certainly you know about crossbows, yes?"

 _What is this guy's deal?_ I thought.

Reassuringly, Torajima nodded. "Yes, all different kinds in fact. I sometimes construct bows and crossbows in my spare time. I will say that the construct of the Yumi is what I'm most comfortable with though. For a class project in middle school I actually made a fully-functioning ballista."

The rude guy smirked. "Interesting."

Torajima then went to talk on about his accomplishments, but spoke in a way that made him seem rather humble about all of them. He wasn't being boastful, he was simply speaking matter-of-factly, telling us how he got where he was without overselling himself. He really did come across as a really nice guy.

Once Torajima was finished, the next person to stand in front of the class I recognized immediately. After all, it's hard not to recognize one of the most popular YouTube sensations originating in Japan.

The girl now standing in front of the classroom was the shortest out of all of us and kind of flat, just like me. "Good morning, everyone!" she exclaimed. "My name is Aiko Umesawa, but my fans and followers call me…"

 _Pika-Girl,_ I thought at the same time she said it.

She gave a big huge smile and pointed to her rosy cheeks "I'm the Ultimate Movie Director."

 _Wow, she's just as bubbly as she comes across in her videos._

"I've created movies of all sorts of lengths. I've created one-shot films, multiple-episode Web series and even feature-length films. All for free on my YouTube channel. You guys should subscribe after class. Nothing, but top quality work from yours truly." I could've sworn I just saw her hoodie ears wiggle when she said that. "My dream is to one day make a feature length film with a big Hollywood level budget production."

One of my classmates raised their hand. Surprisingly _not_ the big jerkface this time. It was instead a guy with white hair and blue eyes dressed in a black, button down shirt, with a blue tie on. Pika-Girl called on him. "Yes?"

"What's your favorite movie franchise?"

 _Is this guy for real? Everyone who's a big fan of Umesawa-chan's work knows it's…_

"The Godzilla films obviously, silly," she said with a giggle.

"Oh, is that so?" He said with a friendly smile. I then swore I could see Hayabusa giving this guy a dirty look.

"Any more questions?" Pika-Girl asked.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Now, I did have a video prepared for my intro today, but it doesn't look like we've got a computer in this classroom and that TV in the back is way too small. Oh, well. Anyone that wants to see it can come to the AV room later. I'm gonna be doing some editing today for my next production." She winked, stuck her tongue out and made a V for victory sign. "So I'll be spending almost all of my time there."

 _Don't forget to eat,_ I thought.

She ended her introduction there, which surprised me. She didn't mention her 3,000,000+ fanbase, her greatest achievements on YouTube, or the production that started her as a sensation: Cowboys Vs Samurai. Either she was just extremely humble, much like Torajima, or she was so confident in her abilities that she felt she would let her work speak for itself. She thanked her fans a lot in her videos, so did she think of herself as a success even without her fans? She never made any of her videos cost money on another site and she never had any rewards in her other than being a bit part in one of her productions, or greater if you forked over more cash. She even directed fan-made scripts if the price was right. I was too shy and too low on funds to actually get those rewards, but…she was a person I really admired and one of my favorite YouTubers.

After Pika-Girl sat down, the next person to get in front of the room was none other than the guy that had spoken during her introduction. He stood up at the front of the room half-nervous and half-serious. "Hello, everyone." He said and _then_ wrote his name on the board. "My name is Hayato Tatemaru. People call me the Ultimate Pilot."

 _Pilot, huh?_

"The name is a bit misleading though. While my specialty is in planes and gliders, put me behind the wheel of any sort of vehicle and I'm pretty good at it, even in arcade games." He rubbed the back of his head. "Hell, I bet if anime mecha actually existed I wouldn't have any trouble with those either."

 _You and every other teenager in the known universe, buddy. Everybody knows learning to pilot a mecha is as easy as breathing._

"The key to flying, or driving, is in the synergy between pilot and vehicle. If you don't trust the vehicle you're driving, you're not going to have as smooth of a ride. It's important to remain calm, even when things aren't going your way. Mankind devised vehicles as smoother, faster transportation. If you know what you're doing, it's not you that you need to worry about, but other people…well…when it comes to cars anyway." The comment got a few people in the room to chuckle.

"If I had to name my greatest accomplishment, it would probably be flying an old-style fighter plane from the 20th century by myself, despite my age and stature. In fact, what jumpstarted my piloting skill was when I flew co-pilot with my dad and, before the day was over, I was the main pilot and better at it than he was. If I had a dream…well," he looked nervous and embarrassed, "It'd probably be to pilot a rocket ship."

Tatemaru then excused himself from the front of the room and sat down where he had originally been seated. I could see Hayabusa looking at him. The expression on her face was…difficult to ascertain. The woman had an _amazing_ poker face. I thought to make a mental note to take her gambling, but she seemed like the type that would slander the very idea on principle.

There was a brief respite before the next volunteer stood up, likely because it seemed no one wanted to volunteer. However, that's when a shadowing hulking behemoth of a man strolled towards the front of the room.

 _Oh my god, it's Orochimaru!_ I exclaimed. _No, wait, this guy's way too bulky for that and even Orochimaru didn't have hair_ that _crazy._

The behemoth's hulking hands wrote his name on the board and when he turned to face us, he stood perfectly straight. His reptilian, yellow eyes stared at us with the utmost professionalism, even more than Hayabusa's. "Greetings, my fellow students. My name is Isshiki Madarai. I am the Ultimate Bodyguard. My talent is as it sounds, I can protect anyone from almost anything. Simply put, I cannot protect human beings from their own stupidity. It's hard to keep someone from being killed when they're trying so hard to _get_ killed. I've utilized my appearance and my bulk to ward off attackers from numerous people from club presidents, to even the headmasters of my school. I've also aided the police in warding off sex trafficking by pretending to be an escort when, in reality, I'm a bodyguard to protect the girl from her pimp.

 _Scary…but he might be useful at conventions. Would save me the batteries on my stun gun._

"I don't have something as feeble as a dream. I have a goal. My goal, in life, is to die of old age without failing a single, solitary client, else I would be unworthy of my title, or my talent."

 _Ooooookay, this guy's a bit high strung._

"Worry not if my personality offends. A professional does not speak while on duty. Oh, and I should clarify, should harm somehow come to you while I am on duty for you…" Madarai's eyes flashed with what I perceived as killing intent, "There would be nothing to stop me from exacting swift, cold-hearted vengeance on the one who slighted you."

I gulped. _On second thought, this guy might be a bit overkill._

"I offer my services for free with nothing, but a spoken agreement between client and myself. No contract necessary. I guard you for a specific time or a specific event. It's a simple job, but someone has to do it." Madarai then bowed to very low to all of us. "Worry not, even if you are not my clients at any given time, I shall take the utmost care to make sure harm does not befall you, if I happen to spot you in danger. To me, your lives are far more fragile than my own and I shall take the utmost care in guarding you. You have my word."

 _Okay, forget high strung, can we get this guy to guard the Prime Minister?_

Madarai then sat back down in the back corner of the room by the window where he had originally been, but after that last part of his speech he seemed less…hostile now. His presence, while creepy, seemed less terrifying and more…reassuring, like having a wolf as a house pet.

With Madarai's business concluded, the next student to introduce themselves was a guy with light brown hair. He was already wearing the school uniform and had a very telling armband on his right arm. _You can't be serious,_ I thought, recognizing what it was. _He's a first year student!_

Upon standing in front of the room, the guy cleared his throat and spoke with the utmost clarify. He then smiled and spoke with an upbeat tone that betrayed his professional dress. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Soshun Murasame. I am the Ultimate Student Council President!"

 _I knew it! The hell gives?_

Murasame adjusted his necktie. "I know what some of you are already thinking: a first-year as a Student Council President? This is unheard of. What you may not know though is that the Student Council President of Hope's Peak Academy is not elected like a normal student council president." He turned his body and held up a single finger. He smiled kindly to inform us and remove our ignorance. "It is actually passed down from one Student Council President to the next, who serves all three years. In fact, the former Student Council President is actually supposed to scout for the new one during their last year at Hope's Peak Academy. So, I've actually met Munakata-senpai before coming to this school." He, of course, was speaking of Munakata Kyosuke, the director of the future overseas branch of Hope's Peak Academy. "I've actually been on campus longer than all of you so that I could get used to the school quicker. If you have any questions about this school, any at all, I request that you speak with me immediately, I will be happy to assist you in any way I can." He chuckled a little. "I'll also be on the lookout for a sharp Student Council Vice-President for next year, as the current one is currently in Class 75. It's going to be an interesting three years here at Hope's Peak, so I encourage you all to enjoy it to the fullest and I will do what I can to make it better for all of you."

I yawned. Seriously, how much longer was this guy going to go on for? I'd eaten burgers that were less cheesy than this.

Soshun gracefully bowed out and returned to his seat. In spite of my decisive disillusionment to his speech, most of the students were clapping wildly. Hell, Madarai was even smiling and there was something very creepy about that in and of itself.

"Scouting?" a voice from the back of the room stated. "Well, wait no longer!" Suddenly a blur of red hair and brown clothes rushed past me accompanied by a gust of wind as a girl stood at the front of the room dressed in Hope's Peak Academy's uniform. She had bright yellow eyes and sunset red hair that curved around the undersides of her cheeks like horns. She also had a widow's peak. Her figure was pretty modest and slim. Not bad at all actually.

Quickly, she grabbed the chalk, twirled it unnecessarily and began writing her name on the board so largely it took up almost the whole chalkboard. "My name," she said, as if some of us in the class might have been blind, "Is Kotomi Ikuta." She turned around and slammed her palm firmly onto the desk. "My talent is the Ultimate Cheerleader!"

"If you're a cheerleader, why aren't you wearing a uniform?" a disembodied voice echoed through the room. I looked around for the source, but I couldn't find the student that said it. It sounded quite young too.

"HA-HA!" Ikuta exclaimed, emphasizing both syllables. "I only wear my cheerleader outfit when desperate times call for desperate measures." She was clenching her fist so tightly it was making her whole arm wobble back and forth. "…Or on game day." She then pointed at the class. "But that doesn't matter! You can be a cheerleader no matter what you're doing." She put her right knuckles against her hip and let her left arm dangle down naturally, palm open. "I'm a natural born supporter. No matter what I'm involved in, I'm always the girl, nay the person, that's boosting everyone's morale to do their best, be it pet club, physical education, the school band, the student council president, the cheerleader team captain, or just giving someone a good old fashioned pep talk." Ikuta flexed her arm and grabbed her bicep. "I've given speeches, written speeches for others, and I'm the type of girl, nay a person, that you absolutely need to help you when you're feeling inadequate or otherwise unconfident." She then jumped up on the desk and put her knuckles on her hips, thrusting her chest out with pride.

 _Jeez, everything about her is a little over the top, I kind of like that._

"Yamato Nadeshiko? Modesty? Humility? Screw all that! I like being a firecracker! Someone that's an explosion of energy that inspires others!" Ikuta clenched her fists up by her cheeks and grinned widely. She then cooed with delight and exuberance, pumping herself up. "Just thinking about how useful I can be to some of the best students in the nation gives me such a feeling of elation I don't even know if I have words to describe it! YEAH! I'm all fired up just thinking about it!"

 _Boy, talk about your fiery redheads._

Ikuta then sat down on the desk and seemed to calm down a little as she slid herself off it, standing in front of it to conclude her introduction. She also cleared her throat and then spoke calmly and clearly. "In conclusion, I hope to be a friend and supporter to everyone here." She then thrust her open palm out to us all. "Just remember, if you can't believe in yourself, believe in the Kotomi Ikuta that believes in you."

… _She wouldn't._

Ikuta then pointed straight at the ceiling with her right arm and clenched her left hand while proclaiming, "Your talents are the talents that'll pierce the heavens!"

… _She would. There's no way she came up with that on her own. Someone's been watching too much anime._

Unexpectedly, Ikuta then bowed with the utmost grace and poise, "Thank you." My classmates, including myself, clapped wildly. Ikuta certainly knew how to win a crowd. I kind of liked that.

The next student to walk up to the front of the room had this pompous air about him. Not quite as rude as the jerk towards the back of the room, but something about the air about this guy made me want to just smack him upside the head. It didn't help that, of all people, his style of dress made him look like a color palette swap of Blue/Green Ookido, or Shigeru depending on the continuity. He had dark, ink black hair and wore a green sweater with a golden, jade pendant necklace hanging from his neck, which didn't seem to serve any purpose except to show how loaded this guy was.

Professor Shirogane smiled. "Well, if it isn't my grandson. Good morning…er…what was your name again?"

"Goddammit, gramps! Stop forgetting my name!" The young boy exclaimed.

I slapped my forehead against my desk. _Ultimate Zoologist. …oh my god. Why didn't I see this coming?_

"Sup, losers?" My teacher's grandson said.

 _Ooookay, you're giving a worse first impression than the other black haired jerk in the class. That's a swell bang up job to accomplish in only two words._

"The name is Midori Shirogane. I'm known as the Ultimate Corporate Executive." Even his tone of voice and manner of speaking were pompous. "Thanks to me, clubs in the schools I've been in have had increased cash flow up over thirty percent. I've also run all sorts of neighborhood fundraisers. If you've got money troubles and an idea on how to make it, you should come see me…well…as long as I get a twenty-percent cut."

"Oh? And how are your morals doing, you spikey haired sea urchin?"

I looked over to see the _other_ black-haired jerk in my class. _Okay, aside from Madarai, does everyone with black hair in this class cop an attitude?_

"Hah. Morals you say?" Midori became confrontational, pointing accusatorily at the black haired jerk. "I'll have you know that I don't take bribes! I would rather a secret exposed than be blackmailed and I use only the _purest_ of methods to raise money! And if you don't believe me, then why don't we start a partnership?"

 _Phrasing!_

"We can raise money for whatever charity you'd like for whatever reason you'd like," Midori folded his arms and smirked knowingly. "I'll show you exactly how I got to be as good and as rich as I am."

"Hmph. Any time wasted on the pursuit of money, I would rather spend on the pursuit of knowledge," the other black haired guy said, "Or is your feeble mind incapable of comprehending such a pursuit?"

"Why you…!"

"All right, that's enough," Professor Shirogane said, getting involved. "Midori, sit down please. Perhaps your new rival might want to come up to the front of the room and share his name and talent."

"…sure, why not?"

 _Oh finally I'll have a name to attach your face, you jackass!_

The other black haired guy strolled towards the front of the room, glaring at Shirogane as the two passed each other. He then wrote his name on the board before turning around to face us. "Before I introduce myself, let me make one thing perfectly clear to you mouth breathers. I came to this school to study and to learn. I have no intention of getting cozy with any of you. I refuse to let my pursuit of knowledge be impeded by anything other than food, rest, and personal business. However, since you all must have a name to call me, now I will introduce myself. My name is Yasuke Matsuda, the Ultimate Neurologist."

My jaw hung open a little. This guy was an expert in a field that was hard for even most adults to fully comprehend.

"Ever since I was young, the study of the human mind, the consciousness, and the synapses in the brain have been everything to the person I became today. I know more about the human mind than all of you combined likely know. There are scientific and psychology teams that comprehend it far less than I do." I could feel it in his words. Matsuda was looking down on us, as though he could read all of us like an open book with whatever he knew about how humans think. "Aside from curing brain-related illnesses, one of the most important questions I try to answer with my research is why are humans so stupid?" Matsuda pulled out a small journal in his back pocket. "Kaori Kurohagane, age 7: tried to cross the road without looking both ways. Dead before the ambulance arrived." He opened another page. "Akai Tsukomi, age 33: out on safari in Siberia with his family and tried to fight a wild tiger with his bare hands. Dead. Yu Haruzome, age 17: a teen delinquent that TPed a dwelling home to a family of Yakuza. Not dead, but missing a few fingers. Human beings are…such stupid creatures, but there are geniuses that do their best to separate mankind from the primates. Men like Tokisada Amakusa Shiro of the famous Shimabara Rebellion and Sun Tzu, author of the art of war, and women like Marie Curie, the famous chemist. Why is it then that human beings constantly seek the path of stupidity? I aim to find out and if you impede such progress towards insight and some of the greatest revelations the world has ever known, I will be forced to count you among the less intelligent."

 _Okay buddy, we get it, you're a special little snowflake. No need to act like a jackass about it._

When a silence pierced the air, Matsuda simply said. "I think that'll do it for introductions. I don't even know if half of you can comprehend how important my research is. I'll be sitting down now."

 _Right, see if I say hi to you in the hallway._

After Matsuda sat down, Professor Shirogane said, "Very well then, who would like to be next?"

"I would, Professor Shirogane," a very young sounding, male voice pierced through the classroom. However, I couldn't ascertain its location, not until a very chubby-faced guy with big brown eyes and hair to match suddenly appeared at the front of the room. It was like he just materialized out of thin air.

 _Where'd he come from?_ I wondered. Had he always been in the room? When I got a good look at him though, my next thoughts were, "Eh? A grade schooler?"

"How rude!" the young boy suddenly exclaimed.

 _Oh crap, I said that out loud._

"I'll have you know I'm the same age as all of you, even if I don't quite look like it yet."

 _You know…there's late bloomers and then there's this._

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said as he wrote his name on the board, he then glanced back towards the room with a pervy grin, "especially the ladies."

 _Gross!_ I frowned.

"My name is Yuuta Kamishiro. I am known as the Ultimate Spy. You see, I've been cursed with having my presence barely registering to the rest of the world. In fact, it's very easy for me to disappear without anyone noticing. Allow me to demonstrate." Kamishiro then walked behind the desk and crouched under it.

 _What? Is he going to just pop out from the other side and pretend he actually disappeared?_ I wondered.

"So as I was saying," Kamishiro said suddenly. He was standing right next to my desk and strolling back towards the front of the room.

 _When did he…?_

"Ladies, if you would be so kind as to check your desks, I've left you all a present. Just my way of showing I care about my fellow nee-chans."

I reached into my previously empty desk. Sure enough there was something in it. It felt bumpy on one-side and like aluminum on the other. _Oh god please don't tell me what I think it is._ I pulled out my gift at the same time as the other girls: contraceptive pills. I felt something snap inside me, my right eye twitching unnaturally at the same time. With tremendous force I hurled the sheet of pills at Kamishiro's face, hoping one of the sharp ends would hit him square in the forehead like a shuriken. Unfortunately, I missed. The aerodynamics of the room and my target were not in sync. I did little more than see my wepon sail off course into the desk.

"Absolutely unbelievable," I heard Hayabusa grumble.

Pika-girl looked decisively unamused. It was likely not her first time dealing with this sort of thing.

The rest of my class just looked at the "gift" with varying levels of disgust and embarrassment, sans Ikuta and the black haired pigtailed girl I saw when I walked in. Both of them angrily tossed their "gift" at Kamishiro, accompanied by a "You disgusting pig!" from Ikuta, her eyebrow twitching in raw anger. The other girl was equally as mad, grinding her teeth. Both sheets missed, but they came much closer to home than mine.

Hayabusa then spoke very sharply. "I have a right mind to report you to the Headmaster. Professor Shirogane, this is nothing short of sexual harassment."

"Now, now, I'm sure it's all in good fun," Professor Shirogane said calmly with a smile.

"The hell it is!" Hayabusa exclaimed.

"Anzu, calm down," Tatemaru said.

 _Did he just call her by her first name?_ I thought.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Hayato!" she shouted.

 _She did it too!_

"Now, now," Murasame said, standing up, "Let's all take a minute to take a deep breath and try to relax. Kamishiro-san, I would advise not making any more open passes at our classmates. You seem to have greatly upset them."

"Oh, my apologies, kaichou, I'll be more mindful of my advances in the future."

Murasame smiled. "Thank you, Kamishiro-san."

 _Ugh, all bow down to President Murasame the literal perfect human being._

Kamishiro sat down, and subsequently vanished from our presence, as the next person strode to the front of the room. _Anything,_ I felt, would be a breath of fresh air from _that_ pervert. The student at the front of the room was a girl with pale pink hair styled in an ox bun with her bangs coming down to her eyebrows. She also had a red ribbon woven through her hair. Her breasts were quite large and noticeable with the way they were pushing against the fabric of her shirt. with her bangs covering her eyes rather effectively. She appeared very timid in nature, but stood in front of the room with as much confidence as she could muster, if only to hide the fact that her legs were trembling.

"G-good morning," she said in a tender, sweet voice. "M-my name is Kiriko Nishizawa. I-I'm the Ultimate Librarian!" In spite of her nerves, she seemed at least confident in herself enough to speak to us all. That didn't make her any less of a moeblob though. All she was missing was a shy personality and tears. "I-I was the head of the book club all throughout middle school," she said with a nervous smile. "I really like reading, whether it's a light novel, manga, a novel, or children's picture books, but I have to say I enjoy light novels and romantic fiction most of all." She giggled nervously. "For me, there's nothing better than getting lost in a good book." She then tilted her head up and put her finger on her chin to think. "Let's see…I think my favorite book would have to be So Lingers the Ocean." She then gave a bright and warm smile to the class. "I'm actually a big fan of Toko Fukawa's work."

 _Gah, her too? Ugh, thanks to Fukawa and America's Stephanie Meyer, now I have to be on the lookout for vampire fishermen! Oh god…let's not remember that bad day on ._

"I hope to be of use to everyone in the school for their library needs," Nishizawa said, bowing gracefully and squeaking.

"I'm sure you'll be of plenty of use to us Nishizawa-san, right everyone?" Murasame asked. An obligatory round of applause came from the whole room. I found myself joining in just so I didn't appear rude.

"Ah, th-thank you very much!" Nishizawa said, bowing very lowly. I could practically see the nervous expression and sweat dripping down her face. Nishizawa then stood up straight, clasping her hands together, looking at us all with pleading eyes. "U-um, I-I'm not a v-very s-sociable person, but I-I promise never to turn away a classmate that needs my help."

 _Jeez, you don't have to force yourself. Still, at least she doesn't look like she wants to burst into tears any second._

There was an awkward silence before Nishizawa said, "U-um…I-I'll s-sit down now." She then quietly took her seat.

The next person to walk up to the front of the room had bright blue hair and was wearing very sharp-looking eye glasses. They were wearing a blazer with a properly fitting undershirt and long pants in a bright shade of blue. I say "they" because it was impossible for me to discern whether they were male or female. The hair style and the color scheme suggested girl, but the facial features, height of over 170cm and the rigid posture suggested guy. Not to mention, not many sharply dressed girls chose pants over a skirt. Not the ones I knew anyway.

"Pardon me, but are you a boy or are you a girl?"

I looked at Professor Shirogane in disbelief. _Okay, even I was wondering that myself, but you don't need to fulfill the stereotype I have of you in my head that far._

"Yes." The answer came in a deep, but still hard to discern voice.

 _Yes?_ I thought flabbergasted. … _wait, don't tell me._

"Er…"

 _Even Professor Shirogane is speechless!_ I looked back at my classmate. _Okay, calm down Miaka, perhaps the name will…_

"My name is Kairi Hyaku," Hyaku said as they wrote their name on the board with gender neutral characters.

 _Oh you've gotta be kidding me!_

"I am the Ultimate Mathematician."

 _Well that explains the "yes",_ I thought.

"Mathematics have been a part of me since I first learned simple addition. Mathematics are, in my opinion, the best subject to know because math is never wrong. It is a subject that does not carry opinions, only facts. The only way for math to be wrong is human error. However, numbers have carried mankind through the ages without fail and will continue to do so as we continue to grow and evolve as a species. After all, a carpenter cannot install wood flooring without the proper knowing the measurements of the wood he needs. A mason must know the number of bricks he needs to build a chimney and the volume of the chimney he is building before he gets to work. No matter what job you wish to undertake, math will always follow you."

"Okay, I've had enough!" The pigtailed girl in red behind me shouted. "What gender are you?"

"Now, now, no need to shout," Professor Shirogane said. "I just checked the student profiles. Hyaku-san is, according to their student profile, a girl."

"That is true," Hyaku said. "I am female, both in mind and body."

 _You could've just said that!_ I thought.

Hyaku then went onto a boring lecture about math. I didn't pay attention to it. I've never had a mind for math, unlike a friend of mine from America. Instead, I spent the whole time checking our Hyaku's body. She was actually pretty tall for a girl and I should've noticed her hips and waist structure sooner, definitely feminine if you stared at it long enough.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Hyaku asked, jarring me from my thoughts.

"Actually, Hyaku-san," Murasame said with a pleasant smile. "If it's not too much to ask, would you care to dress more gender appropriately starting tomorrow. You wouldn't want to confuse the other classes, would you?"

"I would not," Hyaku said. "I simply thought to dress professionally this morning, but it seems to have caused you all great confusion. I apologize. I will dress in a skirt tomorrow with a frillier blouse, kaicho."

"Whatever works," Murasame said with a smile.

 _Okay, does this guy ever get tired of smiling?_ I wondered.

Hyaku took her seat. This prompted the pigtailed girl that had demanded to know her gender to cross up to the front of the room. She was clenching a deck of cards in one hand. Silently she put the deck down on the desk and then wrote her name on the board. She then turned to face us. "My name is Rina Hiwasaka," she said and then caressed her thumbs to her palms, suddenly fanning out twenty-six cards in each hand. "I'm known as the Ultimate Magician." She opened the box that was still on the desk, which was somehow now surprisingly empty, putting the cards away as she did so.

 _Holy!_ That was impressive.

In the next instant though, she put the card deck back on the table and then was somehow shuffling that same deck of cards. "I've been practicing being a magician since I was old enough to comprehend it at the tiny age of three. My dad performed as an assistant in escape artistry and that's how I got into the illusionist trade. However, my favorite tricks are card tricks." She held her palms out to the class. There were no cards in her hands and the deck box facing us was empty. "And making things disappear." She strolled to where Hyaku was sitting and pulled out a still sealed deck of cards from apparently out of nowhere. "With my level of skill, almost nothing is impossible for me."

"Can you make your panties disappear and reappear on my desk?" Kamishiro asked.

BAM!

Hiwasaka whipped the sealed deck box at Kamishiro's face, nailing him in the forehead, knocking him and the chair over.

"There! I made your chair disappear from an upright position! Happy?" Hiwasaka snapped loudly.

 _Oh, I like her!_ I thought. Feisty, take no shit from anyone attitude, and a relatively small bust.

Hiwasaka then took a breath and fanned out her skirt as though she was trying to resume being a prim and proper lady again. "Now then, does anyone want to come up and volunteer?"

"I'll volunteer," Murasame said.

 _Of_ course _you will,_ I thought, rolling my eyes.

Murasame stood right in front of Hiwasaka as she suddenly had the sealed deck of cards back in her hand.

 _When did she…?_ I then looked over to where Kamishiro was on the ground. A small, smooth flat stone was on the ground where the deck of cards was supposed to have landed.

"Now then, my lovely assistant," Hiwasaka said in a very upbeat tone, "can you confirm that this is a new deck of cards," she snapped her fingers with her free hand, "on which the seal is not yet broken?"

"I can confirm that, yes," Murasame said.

"Let's take a look inside then," Hiwasaka said and opened the deck. She took the cards out. She fanned them out to the class. "Feast your eyes, a brand new deck of playing cards, not yet touched by human hands until just now." She folded the cards together so as not to disturb the order. "Murasame-kaicho, could you cup your hands in front of you for me." She put the deck of cards right on top of Murasame's hands. Now as with all decks of this type, there are two premium cards. We won't be needing those." Hiwasaka said and put them in the pocket of her skirt. "Now, as always there are two jokers. We'll take the fancy one out and leave the traditional one in," Hiwasaka said and removed one card from the deck in Murasame's hands. She put it in her pocket. "Now then, feel free to shuffle them as many times as you'd like Murasame-kaicho."

"Okay," Murasame said and shuffled the cards four times and then cut the deck for good measure.

 _What is she up to?_ I wondered.

"Now then," Hiwasaka said, taking the deck, "I'm just going to take that from you and fan them out," she said, performing her actions as she said them. "I just want you to poke the card you want and take it out of the deck."

Murasame grabbed a card.

"Now you can tell me, it's part of the trick. Which card did you get?"

"The Jack of Hearts," Murasame said, showing it to the class.

"How fitting," Hiwasaka said at the same time I was thinking it. A few members of the class chuckled. She pulled a pen out of her pocket. "Please write your name on the face of the card. Could be in English, Kanji, katakana, hiragana, I don't care as long as we can tell it's your name."

Murasame uncapped the fancy pen that Hiwasaka handed him. "Once the card's been signed, we'll recap." Murasame wrote his name down on the card. "The pen." She then said.

 _Nooooo, did she just…?_ I watched as Murasame re… _Oh! Damn you!_ I couldn't help, but get flustered over the pun. It seemed the joke was not lost on my classmates either.

With the pen's cap back on, Hiwasaka took it and Murasame's card and put the latter back into the deck. Hiwasaka then swiped he pen back towards her pocket and hooked it along the waist of the article. As she made sure the card deck was nice and neatly stacked, she asked, "Could I ask you to hold out your hand for me, kaicho?"

"Certainly," Murasame said and stuck his hand out. Hiwasaka put her hand on top of Murasame's hand, trapping the cards in between.

"Now then, please place your hand on top of my hand, trapping the cards inside."

"Okay."

"Now, I'll remove one card," Hiwasaka said and took a card out from the deck and from in between Murasame's hands, leaving the rest of the cards inside his hands. "If I removed your card would that be impressive?"

"It would be very impressive," Murasame said.

"No it wouldn't. That would be child's play for a performer at a birthday party. Besides," she held up the card. "I grabbed the joker so joke's on you." This got most of us to laugh. Even Murasame chuckled a little. Hiwasaka then put her hand on top of Murasame's hands.

"Okay, here's what I'm going to do, if I could reach in between your hands and straighten one card up so it was in the opposite direction and it was your card, the Jack of Hearts, would that be impressive?"

"Yes."

"You know what would be more impressive though?" Hiwasaka said with a cocky grin. "If I could put those card back in new deck order and reverse your card and only your card would that be impressive?"

"That would be better, yes?"

"Okay then for an ultimate level trick, how about I put the cards in new deck order, reverse your card, put them back in the box with the deck seal on it and the plastic that originally encased this new deck of cards?"

I blinked rapidly. _Is she serious?_

"I would definitely like to see that," Murasame said.

Hiwasaka removed her hand. "I just did it. Go ahead and check it out." She had a knowing smile on her face.

 _No way,_ I thought, my face contorting in a giddy, anxious expression.

However, when Murasame moved his hand away, he revealed a new deck of cards on top of his palm.

"Take a look everyone," Hiwasaka said, showing it to us. "It's a brand new deck of cards."

We all clapped in amazement.

"Murasame-kaicho can you check to see if there is a cut or slit in this deck of cards?"

Murasame checked it from all directions. "There is not."

"Great, now let's open this sucker up." She took the cards out and dumped them in Murasame's hand. "You'll notice if you look at the deck that there are no premium cards or jokers in this deck. Why?" Hiwasaka took out not only the premium cards and the jokers, but also an empty, folded deck box. "They're in my pocket."

 _You're kidding._

Hiwasaka then took the cards and fanned them out. "Oh, it looks like one of the cards is flipped around. Murasame-kaicho, could you show that card to everyone?"

Murasame held up the card. "Well, I'll be damned," he said and showed to the class. It was the Jack of Hearts _and it had his name scribbled on it_. "I do believe you're certainly an Ultimate Magician."

 _I'm not sure how to react to this._ I thought, but clapped anyway. It really was an impressive trick. I just…mind blown.

Hiwasaka took an appropriate bow and went to her seat.

"Well now, I believe that's everyone except you, young lady," Professor Shirogane said with a smile.

"Er, I suppose it is," I said, chuckling nervously. I stood in front of the board, turned my back and wrote my name on it. "Last, but not least, right?" I said with a bit of hastily thrown together bravado. I'm always nervous during the class introduction. My name is usually called midway through being in the middle of the kana chart during roll call, but I'm not used to volunteering for introductions and prefer to be middle to last.

Here goes nothing. Deep breath. Pretend you're at a convention and this will go just fine… at least it would have if I was in cosplay. But what was I supposed to do? Dress up as someone else as the first impression my class gets of me? That seems…dishonest. Even if I am the Ultimate Cosplayer, they should at least be able to recognize me for who I am normally.

After writing out the Kanji for 'thousand league' and Hiragana for 'beautiful red' with practiced precision, I turned around and began to speak. "My name is Miaka Senri, and I've been given the title of Ultimate Cosplayer. I don't have a demonstration ready right now, but you probably saw me earlier today in at least one of my outfits. They're pretty distinctive. I hope to get along with you all!" I gave a polite bow. Well that was rather tame compared to the rest of these guys. Is it really okay to call myself an Ultimate?

"So are you cosplaying as a guy in drag, or are you really just that flat?"

Goddamnit. Mister 'Ultimate Neurologist' really knew how to get under a person's skin. Isn't that like, abuse of his powers or something?

Clearing my throat, I replied as politely as I can manage without letting too much venom into my tone. "It just so happens that I am blessed with a modest body type. My legion of fans actually think I'm quite lovely, thank you."

"I have to agree with them!" Kamishiro's comment was not needed.

"Fans? I think you have that term mixed up with lolicons." Yasuke prodded.

"Why you-" I was about to blow up.

"Well then, wasn't that a nice introduction class? I would love to hear more but it's time to start you on your journey…of education!" Professor Shirogane cut me off before things had a chance to get ugly. Did he actually have the insight and integrity as a teacher to stop a fight that casually? Or was that just a fluke? I returned to my seat unsure of the true nature of our esteemed teacher.

After my introduction, our class was wholeheartedly dismissed, just a small request that we hand in our student forms. As I handed mine in, it was only now that I noticed there were sixteen desks, but only fifteen of us had spoken. "Hmm, is someone absent on the first day?" I wondered aloud.

"Oh don't mind that," Professor Shirogane said. "It's the reason I was late. There was a paperwork hiccup in admissions, like I said. To say anything further would be unprofessional. All I can say is that there is and there isn't a sixteenth student in this class."

"So, Schrodinger's student. Gotcha," I said wittily.

After handing in my form, I walked out of the classroom and quickly switched into my Phi cosplay that I left in the lady's bathroom. After that…I wasn't sure what to do. There was a lot of time before lunch and I could switch uniforms at any time. I mean, maybe I could go to the theater and practice my skills, but I thought maybe it might be nice to establish a deeper connection with my classmates.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

I went to the AV room where I found Pika-Girl sitting in front of a monitor, editing.

I really wanted to be her friend. I mean, it's not everyday someone you know on the internet as a fan becomes your classmate. "H-hey. U-um…P…" _I don't think she'd like it very much if her classmate called her by her stage name._ "Um, Umesawa-chan?"

Okay, now I definitely saw the ears on her hoodie wiggle. What was up with that?

Pika-girl spun around in her seat to face me. I wasn't sure how she recognized me, but she did. "Oh, hello Senri-chan, did you want to watch the video I had prepared for class?" She was pressing her fingertips together and was giving me the most adorable smile.

"Really?! I mean- um... yes I would love to." I had to restrain myself from going into hyper mode. It would be polite of me to keep the inner fangirl in check.

"Great! Great!" Pika-Girl said with exuberance. "Here, take a seat. I'll get the video set up and ready."

I spent the next thirty minutes watching Pika-Girl's latest video that she made exclusively for her first day at Hope's Peak Academy. Well…until it would go up on the web later tonight of course. After watching and seeing Pika-Girl so thrilled with my reactions, it felt like she and I got a bit closer.

"Ne, ne, Senri-chan, did you subscribe?"

"Didn't have to. I've been a follower of your channel for years. Pi…Umesawa-chan."

She laughed. "You can call me just Umesawa-chan at school, silly. I'm your classmate. Of course, if you've been a follower of mine for years, I'm gonna quiz you. It'll be super fun! Yay!"

 _Ooooh boy._ She was way too fired up for this.

"So! So! So! You know what my favorite film genre is, right?"

 _Pffft, that's easy!_ Of course I knew that. It was… "Sci-fi, right?"

"That's correct! Ding! Ding! Ding! Science Fiction's so cool, you know? You can make up your own rules and you don't even have to obey the laws of physics. It wasn't so easy to shoot at first when I was little, but I got better with practical effects with practice. Anyways, wish I could talk more, but I've got work to do. This masterpiece isn't gonna edit itself."

"Right, I'll leave you to it."

After parting ways with Umesawa-chan, I still had a lot of time left before I wanted to have lunch. As I stood around the door to my classroom, I wondered what I should do.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

After talking to Umesawa-chan, I was eager to talk to Ikuta next. She seemed like the type of person I really could get along with. I found her running laps out on the track. Guess she pumped herself up so much she had to expel all the excess energy. Had to admit, she looked good in a gym uniform.

As she panted after completing five laps since I'd arrived, Ikuta finally noticed me. "Well lookie here, if it isn't the Ultimate Cosplayer. What can this Super Duper Highschool Cheerleader do for you?"

"Um…is it okay if we just hang out?" I asked.

"For serious?" Ikuta asked with a big grin. "Sure! I'd love to hang out! Come on, let's grab a soda! My treat!"

Ikuta and I walked to the vending machine to get some sodas. I was surprised at how quickly she could gulp one down. Unsurprisingly, she crushed the can, exclaiming, "So good!" like some sort of anime character.

"Ahhhhh, there's nothing like the first day of school, wouldn't you say, Senri?" she asked me.

"Well…"

"Hey!" she looked at me in a slightly annoyed manner. "What's the matter? The first day of school is great. It's a fresh start from who you were in the previous year. It's kind of like New Years. You get to set goals for yourself and try your best to accomplish as many of them as you can. You know, kind of like how I bet you try to cosplay as many different characters as you can per year."

"I don't think that's quite the same thing," I said.

"Bah, who cares? It's still a good comparison!" Ikuta exclaimed. "Say, Senri, you think I'd be a good Vice-President, right?"

"Huh?" I'd just _met_ Ikuta and she wants my opinion on something like that.

Ikuta folded her arms and looked to the side. "Don't start getting the wrong idea either. It's not like I've got a crush on Mursame-kaicho or anything." She gave a knowing wink. "A good VP is the type of girl, nay a person, who puts the community ahead of her own wants and needs."

I was going to suggest she actually did have a crush on Murasame, but now I wasn't so sure. Ikuta just seemed to like helping people, albeit in an over the top, untraditional fashion. She clearly wasn't your typical Japanese schoolgirl, but I can't deny it…I kind of like her. She seems like she'll be fun to be around.

"Heh heh," Ikuta chuckled. "I know that look and I agree. We should hang out again sometime. Anyway, I've got something I need to take care of ASAP, so I'll see you around." With that, Ikuta walked over to the bleachers, swiped a water bottle off one of the seats and headed for the school building.

With Ikuta gone, I checked my watch. It was about lunch time it seemed. I consulted my student handbook for the best cafeteria on campus. Apparently the one that came recommended was being headed up by the school's Ultimate Cook. Intrigued I stopped by to have a bite. Even buffet restaurants did not have quite as much of a spread or selection as what I saw laid out for me. Takoyaki, Tempura Shrimp, Yoshoku, it was all there. There were even dishes traditional in other countries like pork spare ribs and Shepard's Pie. I loaded up my plate with stuff I figured I would like and looked around for a place to sit. I thought about looking to sit with Umesawa-chan or Nishizawa, but before I could locate either of them, a familiar head of blond hair passed my field of vision.

Standing a little over 180cm tall, his short blond hair brushed backwards, dressed in a brown t-shirt and a bright red, weather resistant vest was an old friend of mine. See, I've had this pen pal since I was nine, an American boy. Our schools had this thing to set up members of our respective classes with people all around the world. We were one of the few who really clicked with each other and we've stayed in contact all throughout the years. Hell, I'm the reason he's even into anime.

His name is Alex Goldrose. And it had been at least a couple years since I'd seen his face. Of course, it was easy to pluck out a foreigner from a crowd of natives. He told me his family had moved to Japan a couple of years ago and he was being privately tutored to learn proper Japanese. I hadn't heard that he had been accepted to Hope's Peak, but then again I hadn't told him I had been either. I didn't think it would be such a big deal since he barely knows the country and doesn't really know all the culture and important places like I do. Nevertheless, it was reassuring to see him. And…interesting too. I didn't realize he had a flat stomach and a bit of muscle on him. Nothing too impressive. Any jock worth their salt would've beaten him out, but he didn't have a bulging stomach or any notable body fat.

I'm really not attracted to guys... but that's strange... I kind of feel like that doesn't really matter to me when I see him in person. What's wrong with me? I shake the thoughts out of my head before moving to greet my longtime friend. Doing my best Phi impression, I approach him and bark, "Hey, what's the matter? Are you just going to stand there all day until your food gets cold or are you going to find a place to sit?"

He turns to look at me with a mixture of bewilderment and surprise. I guess he never thought he'd see me here. After all, we were friends long before I got a reputation and a fanbase. He set his tray down on an empty table and then looked ecstatic to see me. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?" He approached me briskly, looking like he was about to hug me only to put his arm down and just rub the back of his head. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

 _Well, good. He seems to have learned the culture to some degree._ "I guess you could call me," I said with a smirk, "Miaka Senri, the Ultimate Cosplayer! Now come on, don't just stand there."

I escorted Alex over to a table I had my eye on since I walked into the dining hall. It was near the window and over looked the campus.

"Communication is a two-way street though," I said. "You could've told me you were attending Hope's Peak Academy too."

"Just sort of slipped my mind I guess. Man, when was the last time we spoke to each other? January?"

"I think so, actually. And I don't think we've seen each other's faces in much longer than that," I added.

"Yeah, two years I think." He said and then added, "Still flat I see."

"Oh, you're an asshole," I said, taking a friendly, passing swipe at his head. I then thrust my head proudly into the air. "Dear boy, you have no appreciation for my end of the boob spectrum."

"I really don't," he chuckled. I grunted in annoyance. That bugs me more and more lately. How is he so blind to the glory of a flat chest?! "Still doesn't mean I don't appreciate you."

"Whatever." I sat down and pulled over a nearby chair, removing my wig and setting it down upon it. I could feel my ahoge suddenly flop upward atop my head, taking its usual curvy shape. That thing was so stubborn, even when I wore a wig. "Well, sit down, I wanna here how my little gaijin friend is managing to find himself in the Land of the Rising Sun."

"You're funny," he said dryly.

"I know I am," I said with a smile, trolling him.

He simply grumbled as he sat down. "I've been okay. Starting today I'm the Ultimate Storyteller. But I'm way more curious about you." He leaned forward and smirked, resting his chin against the back of his hand. "When talking to a lady, always give her the floor first. That's one of my rules."

"Yeah, nice try. You're no Godot, but fine. I suppose I'll go first. Okay, Mr. Storyteller, why don't you just sit back and let your old friend Miaka tell you about the day she's had up until now?"

"Sure, you have my undivided attention," he told me. And with that I began to retell to him the morning I'd been having up until now.

* * *

 **(A/N: And thus you have finally seen both Miaka and Alex' first mornings at Hope's Peak Academy. I hope to make it obvious who's narrating from chapter to chapter, or from scene to scene. I know mid-chapter Pov switches are kind of annoying, but considering we only have 2 narrators (or the option of a 3** **rd** **person POV) I'll probably specify whether it's Alex-hen, Miaka-hen or Neutral-hen (for 3** **rd** **person segments). I'll try to limit one narrator per chapter, but we'll see how much content I can get out of only certain segments.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed meeting Miaka's class, 77-A. I know that there's still an entire chunk of the Student Council missing from Miaka's class, but for this headcanon either there's a 77-C or they're all part of class 76. Hey, at least I included the girl in the Pikachu hoodie. Anyway everyone that's all from me today. As always, from all of me to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)**


	3. Protective Instinct, Alex-hen

**(A/N: Hey folks, how are you? Some of you probably noticed that I didn't accredit Reconstruction Therapy in the first 2 chapters author's notes. That's because Reconstruction Therapy wasn't written until** _ **after**_ **the first 2 chapters of this story. And if you don't know what the fanfic Reconstruction Therapy is, I encourage you to read it. This story was designed with the idea of rebooting the DGR universe and giving** _ **everyone**_ **a happy ending by Setsubou and I doing our best to thwart Junko while stumbling through her plans. Reconstruction Therapy is designed to give a particular person a happy ending that couldn't get one in the main timeline given the events of DGR3. So if you'd like, before continuing, I don't mind if you want to stop reading and go read that. It's 6 chapters, but the entire fanfic itself is only 17k words. It's a** _ **very**_ **short read. But, that's enough about that, let's soldier onward with this story).**

* * *

 **First Day of Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Lunch Time**

After hearing Miaka's first morning at Hope's Peak, it was my turn to tell her about mine. I began by telling her about each of the students I'd met, having more to talk about regarding some than others.

"So, like there's this guy Gundham Tanaka in my class. Guy is so over the top, I can't take him seriously. Apparently he's the Ultimate Breeder. He works with hamsters."

"What? You mean like Lelouch vi Britannia and Kamina?"

"No, not like either of them," I answered. I looked around to make sure Gundham himself wasn't watching. I wanted to imitate him to give Miaka a taste of what he was like. Then, clutching my left wrist with my right hand, I exclaimed, "You will burn in the fires of pandemonium!" I then said in my own voice, "He also calls me the Wizard of Words."

"Sheesh, Ultimate Breeder, more like Ultimate Chuunibyou. Still, sounds like you two are cut from the same cloth. Relative of yours?"

"Very funny," I said sarcastically.

"I know I am," Miaka responded with a shit eating grin as she munched happily on her lunch. "So, any cute girls?"

"Oh, several. There's this one knockout in my class. Let's see…I think her name is…Akane Owari if I'm remembering correctly. You know how bad I can be with names until I've heard them a few times." Miaka nodded her head to confirm my statement. "But god, she's hot. Smooth, dark skin and even though she clearly doesn't style her hair, it works for her. And my god, the puppies coming off of _her_ chest."

"You would!" Miaka exclaimed indignantly.

"No you!" I shot back. "You should know me by now." I then continued. "Still, she's got an amazing body, but not so much going on upstairs from what I can tell."

"Is that her over there?" Miaka indicated with her fork. I looked to my right. Akane was tearing into skewer after skewer of yakitori without even bothering to sit down, just grabbing off the buffet table and tossing the utensils in their appropriate bin behind her.

 _Oh my god. She eats like Goku,_ I thought.

"Not my type, but definitely yours," Miaka stated.

"Mmmn," I said. "But…" I said, leaning back in my chair, palms against the table. "She's still only number two on my hotness chart for my class."

Miaka almost dropped her chopsticks. "You're kidding. If _that_ is number two, then number one's boobs must be so astronomically huge they're a singularity."

"And you'd be wrong," I responded without missing a beat. "Her name is Mikan Tsumiki. She's nowhere near as stacked as Akane, but she doesn't have to be. She's adorable." I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I also happened to have crashed right into her this morning."

"Are you doing this on purpose? You're doing this on purpose, right? You're doing this on purpose," Miaka answered.

"D-did you just quote _that_ game?"

"So what if I did?" Miaka answered, biting into some takoyaki.

I sighed. "Well, it doesn't look like I can see Mikan from our table so I can't point her out to you."

"Prefer you didn't," is what I believed Miaka muttered, but I couldn't quite catch it, so I asked her to repeat herself.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," she said, peeved. I just sort of shrugged. And then, as another blonde passed by our table, I suddenly remembered another student in my class I knew I had to bring up.

Oh, right," I said, frowning. "There's also this one chick in my class. She was such a bitch. Tiny thing too. Haven't spent ten minutes directly interacting with her and I already fucking hate her. She completely singled out Mikan in her speech just to insult her. I swear, next time I see her, I'm gonna…" I began bending my chopsticks in between my fingers, almost breaking them.

"Reel it in there, tough guy," Miaka told me. "Count to ten. Breathe in and out. You remember how to do that, right?"

I was barely listening to her japes. "I swear, one of these days, I'm going to push her off a staircase and I won't make it look like an accident. I'll make sure she trips." I then muttered. "Maybe cut her pigtails off while I'm at it and toss them to the wind."

"OKAY that's _enough_ of that!" Miaka exclaimed. "Tell me more about this...uh...Mikan?"

"Oh, I'll gladly talk about her," I said with a smile as I continued to eat. "I really wish I could point her out to you. She's so cute. It's like…how do I put this, compared to everyone else in my class, there's something about her that just evokes a protective reaction out of me. She's just out and out shmooshy and adorable and I just want to give her a hug." I then noticed Miaka giving me a blank stare. Not sure what to say, I tried to think of anything to make that stare go away only for us both to hear a crashing noise. It was the sound of glass shattering along with metal hitting the floor, indicating someone had tripped and spilled their lunch tray. Ordinarily that might've been funny, but in this case the victim prevented it from being so to me.

On the floor was Mikan. Her wrists were bent in a cringe-like posture. Her legs were spread in a V and her lunch tray was the only thing preserving her dignity with the way her skirt was ruffled up her legs. She had milk running down her face from the top of her head and dripping out of her hair. Soup was all over her chest and food was scattered everywhere around her. As for what made her trip…I couldn't see anything.

 _Did…did she just trip over nothing?_ I wondered. However, I had no time to think on it. A crowd was starting to gather and I could almost hear the muffled snickering. Desperate not to see Mikan suffer ridicule, I darted over to her. "Miaka! Could you give me a hand?" I called out to her. I saw Miaka get up from her table very nonchalantly and stroll over to where I was standing. I then looked down at Mikan. "Are you okay?" I asked. I didn't even wait for a response and grabbed her arm. "Come on, take my hand." Mikan instinctively grabbed it as I grunted, while helping her to her feet, "Up we go." I looked at Mikan as she stood in front of me, covered in milk, food, and other fluids.

Behind me, Miaka whispered. "Ooooooh, I get it now. I guess that makes sense, knowing you."

"Quit being a smartass," I said in normal volume, "And get her a change of clothes."

Mikan suddenly protested. "N-no. Th-that's fine. I-I can…"

"Go. Get. Changed." I said, punctuating each word.

Mikan caved in immediately. "O-okay!" Tensing up she then added. "B-but, I-I don't have a-anything else to change into. Sh-should I just walk around in my lingerie?"

"No!" I exclaimed, blushing. "M-Miaka, sh-she can borrow one of your cosplay outfits for today, right?"

Miaka grumbled under her breath irritably. Unlike before I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying. "Could you repeat that?" I asked her sincerely.

"I said, sure. Of course I can." She grabbed Mikan's arm. "Come on, moeblob, I've got an outfit with your name on it in the third floor bathroom."

"O-okay," Mikan stuttered, stumbling after Miaka. The two exited the lunchroom together.

It was only just now that I began to notice the crowd that was starting to gather in the middle of the room. "And what are you all looking at?" I asked. "Nothing to see here! The show's over!"

Everyone just kind of dispersed with my words. I finished my lunch, returned my utensils and dishes to the appropriate receptacles to be washed later and then checked the time. I had time to hang out with one of my classmates before school let out, but which one should I get to know better, I wondered.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

Wandering outside, I took a walk in the small forest that happened to belong to the school campus. I was intrigued by its existence since it was like going camping, except you could still see a high rising building not too far away if you had to take a leak.

As the sounds of nature enveloped me, I heard someone sneak up behind me. "Yo!"

I turned around. Akane wasn't that far behind me, giving me a real close up of her chest. They were within arm's reach, but I withheld my manly desires. "Oh…hey, Akane, right?" _Oh crap, first name basis. Stupid!_

"Huh…have we…met?" She seemed confused.

"Um, I'm in your class." I tried talking in English. "I'm the foreign kid." I hoped that would jog her memory a little.

"Oh, oh right, the American kid. What was your name again? I wanna say, Ryan."

 _Not even close!_ I thought loudly. "It's Alex," I said and gave her my hand to shake. She grasped it firmly. She had a really tight grip. I thought my hand was going to be crushed. "So, what brings you out here?" I asked.

"Huh? Can't you tell just by looking."

"Er, no. That's why I asked. I didn't peg you for a nature enthusiast."

"Oh come on, this place is perfect for a bit of running and jumping and flipping. Ah, there's a special word for it. Ninjas do it. Can't think of it off the top of my head."

"…You mean Free Running?" I asked.

"Oh! Yeah! I think that was it," Akane said. "This is the perfect place to practice some of that. Helps with flexibility. Wanna join me?"

"Er, no thanks. I appreciate the offer though. I'd have problems climbing a single tree. I'm not much of an athletic individual."

"Huh? Really? Then why are you all the way out here?" Akane asked, genuinely confused.

"I was just seeing why there's a forest on campus."

"Like I said, it makes for great Free Running!"

 _I'm sure that's not the only reason!_ I took a deep breath. _Just relax. Not everyone is incredibly gifted in the brains department. At least she can hold a conversation. She doesn't seem dumb enough to be considered short bus material. Still…I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to hang around her a bit, maybe see what makes her tick. Besides, maybe I'll get a good look at those puppies bouncing._

"Hey, got any food on you?" Akane asked, jarring me from my thoughts.

"Huh? We just had lunch, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be exercising so I'll be burning calories like it's nothing. I could go for a snack and some water when I'm done."

 _Bingo! An in!_ "No problem, let me go grab something."

Akane started to drool. "Maybe grab a few of those sweet buns from lunch." She stopped drooling. "If not, a package of the discount variety from the vending machine will work."

 _Sounds like someone is addicted to the school's food already, not that I blame her. The Ultimate Chef certainly lives up to his name._

I wandered away to the lunchroom and grabbed a few of the sweet buns Akane was asking for. I also grabbed a bottle of water from the vending machine…and then I got a second one for me. It was rather warm out. I then returned to the forest. When I got back, Akane was already running and jumping through the trees like something straight out of an action scene from an anime.

Enticed by Akane's movements, I started gnawing on one of the sweet buns I grabbed. I had six, I'm sure Akane could deal with only five. I also decided to spice up my watching Akane with a little mood music. With the way she was moving to and fro, I felt the opening to the anime Attack on Titan was perfect for the occasion, especially when Akane remained airborne for over a dozen seconds at a time.

I was stunned by her actions. Even though I really don't like sports, watching Akane, she was making gymnastics an art form. I could suddenly see her in a tight leotard doing a parkour run of her own design.

 _Oh god, her in a tight leotard._ My mind started to wander, as it tended to do, picturing Akane in something like that, hugging her body like cling wrap. While I was zoning out, I still watched Akane move like a pro. Was she mixing martial arts into some of her movements? I watched Akane jump off a branch and then propel herself towards another tree with a series of kicks. _She is!_ I exclaimed. I watched how the force of each of her kicks looked like they could take a hole out of a wall in the school building. And she looked so serious while she practiced, not at all like the airhead I seemed to be talking to a minute ago. _Crouching bimbo, hidden awesome,_ I thought. I then sad aloud, "Oh, I could watch her all day."

"You and me both," a smooth voice said next to me. I looked to my right to see none other than Teruteru Hanamura standing next to me. He appeared to be examining Akane intensely, likely having the same dirty thoughts I was about her, but somehow…with the way he was doing it…came off in a much more offensive fashion than my internal fantasies. However, there was a more pressing matter on my mind.

"When did you get here?" I asked him.

"I go wherever the scent of a beautiful woman takes me," he said smoothly, dragging his comb through his hair.

 _Okay see, this right here is exactly what I'm afraid I sound like,_ I thought to myself.

"I don't believe you and I have had a proper introduction," Teruteru said. "I was present for your presentation, but you were late so you missed mine. I'm Teruteru Hanamuta, the Ultimate Chef."

"Proper introduction? I asked for your name when I was leaving the classroom," I said to him.

"Granted, but that's just a hello-goodbye, I'm talking a _real_ introduction my friend." Teruteru's hand started to twitch unnaturally as he looked at me with a really weird look in his eye. "Maybe you could invite Akane and the three of us could go back to my dorm room and we could _all_ get to know each other better."

I had to blink a lot to wrap my head around what was just said to me. "Wait, wait, wait a second. Did you just ask me to ask Akane so that the three of us could have a threesome?"

"Well, if you care to put it so crudely," Teruteru said smoothly, not even denying it.

My brain shut down for a moment, having no way of responding to the proposition in front of me. Fortunately, my conscience was a _lot_ stronger than most guys my age and while losing my virginity to Akane might've been enticing, something in me told me this was a _bad_ idea to accept Teruteru's proposal.

"I…don't think that's a good idea," I said. And with my rejection vocalized, the rationale was not soon to follow, a sincere one at that. "Akane seems kind of slow on some uptakes. It's wrong to take advantage of someone like that."

"Is it? She might like it. And I have a feeling you will."

 _This guy doesn't know when to quit._ I looked around for an excuse, any excuse at all. Fortunately, I spotted one in Akane herself as she was jumping down the tree and walking towards us. _Good, I can let Teruteru stick his own foot in his mouth._ "Oh, Akane, are you taking a break?" I asked. "I got some water like you asked, even brought you some sweet buns."

"Stupendous! Thanks, Rex!"

"It's Alex," I corrected. _At least she's closer this time._

Akane took both the water and sweet buns from me, gulping down the latter quickly and then drinking the water like she was chugging a beer. I looked at her lips, hoping for some of the water to drip down her chin into her cleavage, but unfortunately no luck.

"Owari-san," Teruteru said to her. "Might I entice you to be hungry for something else, say, a sausage?"

 _Oh god, Akane don't fall for that,_ I groaned inwardly.

"Nah, I actually think I'm good for right now. Nothing beats a good sweet bun and bottled water combo after some exercise." However, her stomach immediately growled. "However, I don't think a single sausage is gonna cut it."

"I see, I see, well then, what about two, one of them all white meat?"

 _You are a PIG!_ I thought, knowing what that last comment meant.

"What's with you and sausages? I'm just gonna hit up the buffet if it's still open."

"Sorry, love, but I already cleaned up the dining hall. There wasn't much left, fortunately. My food tends to disappear into everyone stomachs rather quickly."

"Well, then I guess the vending machine's better than nothing," Akane said. "Not that I don't like vending machine food, but…" she started to drool, "Your food is amazing."

"Yeah, I gotta admit," I said, "You're something else. Even if you're one step away from a sex offender lawsuit, you cook really well."

"N-now w-wait just a minute!" Teruteru objected. "Th-that's being a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"No. No, I don't think." I instinctively grabbed Akane's wrist. "Come on, Akane," _I need to stop doing that,_ "Let's go to the vending machine."

"Heh, sure thing. Nothing beats a good afternoon snack."

Ditching Teruteru, Akane and I ended up by the school vending machine near the school store. It was full of some snack foods that I had trouble reading given the fonts, but thankfully the pictures of some of them were clear enough.

Akane reached into her skirt, pulled out a yen bill and made a purchase: one candy bar. As she gobbled it down in seconds, her stomach grumbled again. "Ah dammit, I'm still hungry and that was the last of my spare change." Akane sighed. "Guess I'll have to wait till dinner. Hopefully I can last."

 _No one should go hungry,_ I thought. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed my wallet and looked inside. I still had a few bills I'd been carrying around since last December. "How many more things do you want?" I asked.

"Huh?" Akane asked.

"I've got money on me. Just point and I'll buy."

"What? You really mean that?" Akane asked, surprised.

"Eh," I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" _Anything to wash off this unclean feeling to separate me from Teruteru._

"Seriously? You're the best, Alex!"

"Oh, hey, you remembered my name," I said with a smile.

I bought Akane a few treats using the money in my wallet. She gobbled them up rather fast. As I discarded the wrappers for her like a gentleman, I said, "Hey, Akane…ah dammit, I keep calling you by your first name."

"It's fine," she said. "Don't worry about it."

"Huh? Really?"

"I forget names all the time. Whatever helps you remember me better, I'm cool with it."

She didn't appear to be lying. Still… "So…Akane, um, I think you should steer clear of Teruteru for your own personal safety."

"Huh? Why? He makes amazing food! You even admitted it yourself." She appeared completely confused.

"Well, y-yeah, he cooks really well, but aside from eating what he makes, maybe you should kind of avoid him."

"What? Why? People that make food can't be all bad, right?"

"Well that's not inaccurate, but unrelated to what I'm trying to say."

Akane cracked her knuckles. "Then say it already. I'm no good with complicated stuff."

"Er, okay. Umm, how should I put this? Teruteru is a slimeball."

"Slimeball? Is that like takoyaki?"

"It's not a food!" I exclaimed. I sighed and calmed down. "Look, he actually tried to get the three of us involved in sexual activity all at once. I did my best to turn him down. That's why I got us away from him."

"You know, he does remind me a bit of the comments I'd get from the gross guys at the place where I used to be a waitress."

 _If you know it's a problem, why don't you stop it?_

"Still, I'm used to guys like him," Akane chuckled, hand on her hip. "I can take care of myself in that regard."

 _She certainly looks like she can. Her way of saying no might include tossing someone at a wall,_ I looked at her calf muscles, _or kicking them at one._ "Well, whatever you do, if he invites you to do something that involves sausages, just say no."

"What? Why?"

"Er…can you trust me?" _Not touching that comment with a ten-foot pole._

Akane appeared to be deep in thought. "Well…I don't know why sausages are a problem." She smiled at me. "But if you keep feeding me like you did today, I just might understand."

 _Through her stomach, huh? She does seem pretty simple minded. Still, she's a tad smarter than I gave her credit for and I seem to have gotten on her good side. I'd say that's mission accomplished._

"Well, my funds are limited too, but if you get hungry and the kitchen's closed, I guess I could try to scrounge up something."

"Hey, even if it's burned chicken I'll eat anything for the most part."

I cracked a smile of my own, chuckling. "Hey, burned better than raw, right?"

"Right!" Akane exclaimed. "Anyway, school's almost out, so I'm due back home to feed my siblings. Gotta cook 'em dinner, you know?"

"Is it really that late?" I looked at my phone. _Holy shit!_ It was closing in on four o' clock.

"I've gotta shower. Running water's a luxury for where I grew up. Body odor attracts all sorts of weirdos."

I smirked. _She's gonna be fine. I don't have to worry about someone like her._

"You should bulk up a little."

"Huh?"

Akane smirked at me. "You look like someone that used to do a lot of physical activity. You shouldn't toss that strength away for no good reason." Akane grinned like a demon. "And when you get strong enough, battle me!"

 _I think I'll skip that last part! However, staying in shape doesn't sound too bad._ "That sounds like sound advice, thanks, Akane."

"Don't mention it. See you around…uh…"

"Alex."

"Right, right. I'll try to remember that. Later!" Akane then walked away and headed for the second floor so she could use the gym showers. Me, I decided to check my dorm room and see what it was like before heading home for the evening. My new house wasn't far from here—only thirty minutes—but depending on traffic lights and pace, it could be longer.

* * *

Walking into my dorm room, I was surprised to see the furnishings it came with: one bed, a TV, a desk, plenty of drawer space, a closet and in the adjoining room you had a small kitchen area with a fully functioning stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator. The adjoining room also connected to the bathroom, which had a shower stall, a sink, a medicine cabinet, and under the sink storage.

 _Wow, they really went all out with these,_ I thought. I started to wonder if bordering school students always lived this comfortably, or maybe it was just because I belonged to such an elite school.

The furnishings were also already decorated, scarily enough to my liking. However, that's when I noticed a post-it note on the wall. It read in perfect kanji, "Because you forgot to go on the website and ask how you wanted it designed yourself, sir. Love, Mom."

 _Did the school seriously write a note my mother asked them to leave behind?_ I thought, finding the rest of the situation perfectly normal.

It was only then that I heard a loud thumping from the room next to me and a shout of "Ah dammit!" The voice of which I recognized.

Going next door, I knocked on the door to the room, "Kazuichi, you okay in there?"

"Huh? That you, Alex? Hold on a sec."

Kazuichi opened the door after a short period. He had an ice pack tied to his wrist. "Whoa, you okay dude?"

"Huh? Yeah, I just pinched myself putting the fridge back in place. Darn thing wasn't working so I had to pull it out and fix it. I wonder if that was a secret test to see if I'm really the Ultimate Mechanic or something."

"It might be," I said, shrugging with a smile. "How's the rocket coming?"

"Well…so far so good, I guess. I'm hoping to at least have the structure built before it's time for the practical exam."

"That sounds awesome," I said, happy to hear Kazuichi sound so enthusiastic. However, talking about the rocket made me think of something. "Oh! Oh yeah! I think we might have a test pilot for you!"

"What? No way! Who?"

"I have this friend in Class 77-A. Two of her classmates are the Ultimate Astronaut and the other one is the Ultimate Pilot. Either one would be perfect to help you out."

"Dude, that's awesome!" Kazuichi exclaimed, pumping his fists. "Let's go find them and ask them for help right now. Do you know what they look like?"

"No. Or, well…not completely, but I know their names. I bet if we look for them together we might find them though. Or we could ask Miaka for help."

"Who's that?"

"My friend in 77-A, Miaka Senri. She might be able to give us a more apt description."

"Yeah, let's do that. Thanks, man! This is so exciting! Come on, let's go."

Kazuichi and I began searching all over campus, eventually finding ourselves walking through the halls of the building. Unfortunately, we found neither hide nor hair of Miaka's classmates or Miaka herself. However, we _did_ find Teruteru.

"Well, hello gentlemen," he said when he saw us. "What has you two all…sweaty and out of breath."

 _That's…wow, okay, so he swings both ways. Now I feel even more vindicated in refusing his proposal._ Don't get me wrong, I have nothing wrong with homosexual men, I just don't want them coming onto _me_.

"Hey, Hanamura, have you seen a cosplayer walking around anywhere?" Kazuichi asked.

"A cosplayer, can't say that I have," Teruteru said, rubbing his chin. He then gave us both a pervertedly enticed look. "What kind of cosplay are we talking?"

I sighed. I might not have liked Teruteru much, but if anyone could track Miaka, it might be him. "The Ultimate Cosplayer. She looks like something straight out of fiction, even has the character nailed down to a T."

"Hmmm," Teruteru thought about it. "No, I can't say that I've seen someone like that walking around. Well," he chuckled, "Not since that incident at lunch."

I sighed. _Oh, Mikan, I'm sorry that no one's forgetting about that._

Fortunately, it didn't seem like we'd be having to go far to search for Miaka. A soothing coo of "Oh, boys!" echoed through the hall from behind us. Kazuichi and I turned around and Teruteru looked around the side of my left arm and we saw a young woman with purple hair, wearing red, almost knee high boots. She had what appeared to be painted on light blue leggings with darker blue bats all over them, but they were just really tight leggings. She had wings attached to her back and red horns atop her head.

 _Wait…wings. …Miaka!_ Closer inspection allowed me to see that this was a very convincing cosplay outfit put together by none other than Miaka. It left very little to the imagination compared to her Phi cosplay. I didn't realize Miaka was as toned as the thin fabric along her body suggested. But, I guess when you cosplay as anime and videogame characters, you tend to need to be in shape if you want to make for a convincing appearance.

Teruteru and Kazuichi immediately became aroused by Miaka's cosplay, the former more overt about it than the latter. "I see…" he said, blood seeming to drip from his nose, "I see, so you're the Ultimate Cosplayer. I've never dressed for the occasion, but I'll try anything once."

 _Oh god, you've gotta be kidding me,_ I thought, tempted to make a gagging noise.

Kazuichi, far more subtly, but still no shortage of being crude, whistled, gave Miaka a thumb's up and said, "Those are some nice curves you have there, Miaka-san."

However, predictably, Miaka ignored both of them. She looked at me through red-colored contact lenses, waiting for me to say something. She was really trying to play up the sultry factor as a means of being in character.

Unfortunately, as Miaka should've already been aware that while her cosplay as Lilith Aensland enticed me in its color scheme, I still preferred Morrigan's curves, which Miaka herself simply did not have. Not to mention, I'd seen Miaka in different costumes so this was nothing new to me. "Huh. Lilith. Neat." I said, since I had never seen her wear this particular cosplay before.

Without saying a word, Miaka turned around and walked away, breaking character by frowning. I had no idea what made her so sour or what I said, but it wasn't stopping Teruteru's verbal harassment and I completely forgot to ask her about her classmates.

"Oh yeah, baby, work those sexy things," Teruteru slobbered over Miaka's outfit.

Then, once again from behind the three of us, a timid voice called out. "U-uum. I-it may be p-presumptuous of me to say this b-but I think she wanted a d-different reaction..."

The three of us turned around to see Mikan in a fresh change of clothes. Unfortunately, the change made me nearly lose my composure. Mikan was dressed in a stereotypical nurse outfit—the white one with the tiara. It had a rather short skirting, coming down not even to her knees, and since this was Miaka's outfit, it definitely didn't fit Mikan in the chest, which explained why the top two buttons were undone, exposing a significant amount of cleavage. I could even see Mikan's white bra poking out from the fabric. Of course, Mikan still looked the same as ever, expression-wise. That is to say, as timid as a field mouse in a house full of cats.

Teruteru became fired up from this visual. "N-now I must say, this is something else! Well, hello there, Tsumiki-san. Care to take my temperature? I'm feeling rather cold between my legs."

 _Can he use pick-up lines that don't borderline sexual harassment?_ I thought.

I looked at Kazuichi. He was just awestruck by Mikan's appearance. I could tell from this stupidly giddy smile on his face and the no shortage of joy in his eyes.

 _Do I have to be the gentleman around here? She's clearly uncomfortable,_ I thought. I looked at Mikan, doing my best to hold myself together. Yes, Mikan's cosplay was very sexy and, knowing how Miaka could troll me, she likely did this on purpose. However, I wasn't about to let Kazuichi or Teruteru come on so strongly to Mikan like this. If I didn't do something fast, being the doormat she appeared to be, she was likely to end up eating Teruteru's sausage simply because she had no spine to say no.

That was not something that I was going to let happen. Clasping my head, I declared, "Oh, hey, Mikan, I have a headache. Could you…escort me to the nurse?"

Mikan gasped. "O-okay. S-sure. I-I'm sorry f-for not noticing. Y-you can just follow me."

Mikan walked ahead of me briskly only to slow down so I could follow her. I walked behind her and then glanced back at Teruteru and Kazuichi. I must've been glaring because I saw Kazuichi's expression change from aroused, to shocked, to outright shamed. I even heard him say to Teruteru.

"Hey, Hanamura, you might wanna cut it out. Alex looks like he's on the warpath."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

I made a fist and clenched my eyes and just ignored Teruteru, following Mikan to the nurse's office. It was after she opened the door that I realized that this was the first time Mikan and I had been alone since we walked into the school. Sure, it really had only been a few hours, but opportunities where I was alone with a cute girl were not frequent.

"S-so, u-um, wh-what kind of headache is it?" Mikan asked after we stepped inside. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked nervous. "I-If you know what might be causing it, I-I might be able to offer a better solution."

Funny enough, my head did actually hurt a little. "Stress, I think."

"Oh, is that all?" Mikan asked, giggling. "I've got some medication that'll make you right as rain. Er, it's just your head, right? Nothing else hurts."

"Nope, just a big ol' throbbing headache."

Mikan giggled again. She seemed so happy to be employing her profession. It was nice to see her act so confident for once, instead of looking like she could fall apart any minute. I took the meds she gave me with a glass of water. The tap water in this office was terrible, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

After tossing the disposable cup away, I gave Mikan and appropriate bow, "Thanks," I told her, thinking nothing of my actions.

Mikan then gasped in surprise.

I froze. Did I do something wrong?

However, I became reassured when Mikan started crying, rubbing her eyes and said, "N-no one's ever th-thanked me before."

I froze again. That…couldn't be true…could it? I remembered our conversation earlier that day when Mikan said no one had ever apologized to her before.

It was then I knew, Mikan's self-confidence was shattered. Like me, she clearly had been bullied for a good portion of her life. I could still see the faces of my assailants, only now their floating heads were floating around Mikan as she currently stared at the floor sadly. Well, I wasn't going to let things stay like this. Everyone like us, needs at least one friend. I left mine behind when I moved to Japan and I've rekindled things with Miaka, but Mikan, from what I can tell, has no one.

"Mikan," I said her name calmly.

"Y-yes! I-is there something else wrong? I-I'm sorry for not noticing!"

"N-no. N-nothing like that. Um…are you…busy, right now?"

"N-no. N-not at all! Wh-what do you need? I-I'll be your personal assistant. Y-you can even write a list on my back if you forgot a notepad."

 _What has she been through?_ I thought, finding her remark outright absurd. However, I refused to yell at this absurdity. I took a deep breath, sat on one of the beds in the nurse's office and pat the spot next to me. "Take a seat," I told her.

"Y-you mean, r-right next to you?"

"You could sit across from me if you'd feel more comfortable," I told her. However, Mikan went with my first suggestion and sat right down next to me, the springs of the bed bouncing as she plopped down. I had to immediately avert eye contact to avoid staring at her or I would've been unable to resist making a move on her. _Damn you, Miaka_. I thought.

"S-so, wh-why did you want me to sit here? A-are you going to…do things to me?"

 _You know, normally I'd take you up on that offer, but when you say it…it doesn't sound like a genuine proposal._

"I want you to talk to me," I told her.

"A-aren't we already?"

I stared straight ahead at the wall as I spoke. "Mikan, I know what it's like to have been bullied. I got ridiculed from the time I was six until I moved to Japan." I looked at her, my serious attitude keeping my thoughts martialed. "If there is anything you want to talk to me about, just speak your mind around me. I don't know what other people have done to you." I turned my body to face Mikan as well. "But, I'm not the type of person that sees someone like you and just lets things stay that way."

Mikan, predictably to me at this point, burst into tears. "N-no one's ever said something like that to me before." She clasped her hands in front of her and looked at me with doe-eyed pleading eyes. "D-do you really mean that? I-I can talk to you about anything."

"If it'll make you feel better. I want to be your friend, MIkan, and a genuine friend, not the "friends" you're probably used to having."

Mikan started to cry again. "I-I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't be crying, but…you're so nice and I…I'm just not used to this kind of thing. I-I don't know what to say."

Unable to resist touching her, I reached out and caressed Mikan's head affectionately. Her hair, in contrast to how unruly it was, was soft. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. When you're around me, feel free to just be yourself." I removed my hand, turned my face away from Mikan and scratched my cheek. "B-besides, a…a pretty girl is impossible for me to ignore."

"P-p-pretty? M-me?" She whimpered again and the waterworks started yet again. "N-no one's ever called me that either."

"Really?" On instinct, I looked up and down Mikan's body to get a good look at her figure. Large, but not ridiculously oversized boobs, a rather big and curvy bottom—I could tell from the way it was sticking out behind her with how she was seated. She wasn't a complete hourglass, but she certainly wasn't the slightest bit overweight. And she had a very cute face with long, dark hair. Yup. Pretty. Beautiful even. "I can't imagine that being the case."

"You…can't?" Mikan seemed confused by this notion. With those same pleading eyes, she looked at me in silence. I couldn't read the expression on her face. I really wanted to know what was going through her mind, but, sadly, I am not the Ultimate Mind Reader.

Unfortunately, the longer I stared at her, the more my eyes started to wander downward back towards her open cleavage. I averted my eyes before she caught me looking at her boobs. "S-so…um…" I trailed off and coughed into my hand. _Come on, jackass, think of something. This is getting awkward._ "Hey, um, do you want me to tell you a story?"

"Huh?" Her reaction made it seemed like she had spaced out. "I-I'm sorry. I-I…" Yeah. She spaced out.

"No need to apologize. I space out a lot too. I asked if you wanted to hear a story."

"R-really? Y-you don't mind. I-I'm the only one listening, and I…"

"It's because you're the only one listening that I want to tell one," I said. I held up my index finger and smiled. "I promise it'll be a happy story."

Mikan looked at me nervously, her finger placed along her temple. "W-well, I-I would really like it if you told me one, actually."

I smiled. "Well then, allow me to tell you a story I came up with about a fox, a lion, and a Sabertooth Tiger."

I told Mikan a story I came up with for a school project when I was 7. It was about the struggle of three very different animals, all of them forced to work together to overcome various tasks. Even though the fox was small and weak compared to the much stronger Lion and Tiger, they still brought the fox along because it would simply be cruel to leave a creature to starve to death. There's a part in the story where the Lion wants to eat the fox, but the Tiger tells the Lion that the fox is their friend and not a food source, even in emergencies.

I picked this particular story simply because, if Mikan understood its meaning correctly, she is that Fox and I am that Tiger while the world is the Lion. I don't know if she really understood the deeper meaning in my telling it to her, but she still smiled at the very end when the three animals make it to a tropical paradise of bountiful food and shelter. It was the first time I'd seen Mikan smile so brightly and I decided right then and there that I wanted nothing more than to see Mikan smile over and over again, especially if it was because of me.

 **End of Chapter 3**

* * *

 **(A/N: And that's a wrap. Yes, if it wasn't already obvious, I am shipping myself with Mikan. She is my schmoe and top waifu. Chapter 4 will be a bit on the short side in order to wrap up my second day at Hope's Peak before I turn things over to Miaka again. Keeping a balance between the two of us is a bit tricky, but I do my best to keep things nice and in sync. Until next time, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)**

 **(CA/N: Don't ask what a "schmoe" is.)**


	4. American-Japanese Family, Alex-hen

**(A/N: …)**

* * *

By the time I left the nurse's office, the sun was already going in. In fact, the only reason I even left the nurse's office, after telling no less than three stories to Mikan, was because my parents were wondering where I was to the point that my mom texted me. At that point I had to say goodbye to Mikan, as much as I didn't want to.

"So I'll…see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"W-will you?" Mikan asked, looking hopeful.

I took a deep breath and smiled. "I'll make time, how's that?"

"Y-you don't have to—"

"Hey, if nothing else, I'll still poke my head in to 77-B and see if I can sit in."

"I-if that's the case, I-I'll be sure to at least attend for the morning bell," Mikan said and giggled. "U-um, n-not that you'd want to, b-but…y-you're always welcome to spend time with me."

"If I spend time with you, it's because I want to," I told her. I then looked at my phone to check the time. "Anyway, I really need to get going. Bye, Schmoe." I said and walked out. It wasn't until I got outside that I realized what I said and clamped my hand over my mouth. _Holy fuck! What did I just call her?_ I ran back inside to clear up the misunderstanding, but Mikan was already gone and the door to the nurse's office was locked. I sighed. _Nice going, genius._

With nothing else for it, I walked home, trying to clear my head of my embarrassing mistake…and failing miserably. The street I now lived on was pretty homely, like that generic street in Azumanga Daioh. Walking up to the front door, I used my new house key to get in and slipped my shoes off as I entered.

"I'm home!" I called out, shutting the door behind me.

"Welcome home, how was your first day?" My mom called out. She was in the kitchen, cooking. I guess dad left it to her tonight. My parents alternated between who cooked depending on how late my dad worked. His cooking was better than my mom's, not that my mom was a terrible chef to start.

"Pretty good," I said as though everything that had happened today was normal. I walked into my house and sat down at the kitchen table, putting my bag down next to my chair. "Although, there are a few things you should know."

I explained to my mom about the different policies regarding Hope's Peak Academy.

"Oh, I already knew that," my mom said, facing away from the kitchen counter where she was weighing meat to make hamburgers.

"You…what?" I asked.

"Your school's website is a treasure trove of information. Now, I couldn't get into your class because I don't have your student ID number, but I was able to see the student roster for the 77th class. You're dealing with some _very_ cute girls, sir. Anyone you see as a prospective girlfriend?"

"Stop! Just…stop!" I exclaimed, waving my arms around in protest. "You seriously spent part of _your_ busy day looking up information about _my_ school?"

"Oh no, not today, ever since you got accepted."

"Are you kidding me?" I shouted.

"Don't yell, I'm ten feet from you," My mother chastised.

I growled with a sigh. "You are a stalker."

"Researcher!" My mother corrected. "Now, could you be kind enough to set the table?"

I sighed as I got up from the table, "Sure," I said and proceeded to get all the plates and silverware. "Dad joining us or is he working late?"

"Working late, but he'll definitely be home tomorrow," My mom told me.

"Speaking of work, how have you been adjusting?" I asked. My mother had the harder time adjusting to a new environment. Japan is a lot less socially equal in terms of gender and sex, so my mom faced some…difficulties in the work place. She's also stopped added blonde highlights to her hair. I've never seen my mother with such dark hair except from when I was really little.

"Well, the people I work with are friendly."

"Well you make for an excellent translator," I teased.

"Shush you," My mother replied. I laughed. She continued. "Speaking Japanese is difficult to remember at times, but thankfully some of my co-workers speak both languages if I have trouble." Shen then paused and asked. "Do people your age and older really read this stuff?"

"Yes, mom. We've been over this."

"I know, I know, but I still wonder how one can be attracted to an individual that doesn't even exist and some of the artwork and scenarios in these things are just bizarre."

"Hey, you picked the line of work, not me," I reminded her.

"It was the first place to hire me given where I used to work."

"You mean your last office or the brothel?" I joked. I had to duck when the oven mitt came whizzing at my head. I laughed. It was good to be able to still invoke American values within or own home. Far as I knew, the utmost respect was necessary from Japanese children to their parents. Thankfully, my mom and dad didn't enforce that kind of behavior in the house, even though they rightfully could have. At the very least, the friendly trolling that went across the household remained untouched by cultural barriers.

As I put down the last glass onto the table, I said, "Table's set, I'm going to my room."

"Dinner will be ready in forty minutes," my mom reminded me.

"Got it!" I said and headed upstairs. However, as I walked up the stairs, I almost tripped over my cat as she ran past me.

"Ah! Selena! Be careful!" I exclaimed, watching my cat almost run over my feet. She then ran into the kitchen to her food bowl. The trip to Japan was the least tough on Selena once we touched down. My mom worried for her sake on the ride over here, but because she was already an indoor cat, she's adapted well to the new house, especially since the backyard is closed off so we allow her out there. The fence is too high for her to jump over.

Ignoring Selena for the moment, I continued to head towards my room. However, on the way, I had to pass by my brother's room, which was open. He was playing videogames. He was tall for his age, ten, and while I was blond, he had light brown hair. "You're doing that wrong," I said without even looking at what he was playing.

"Shut. _Up_ ," He told me.

I snickered and stood in his doorway. "You learning Japanese like a good school boy?" I asked him.

" _Hai,_ _nee-chan!_ "

I glared at him. "You did that on purpose."

"You can't prove that."

"What I can prove is that I can kick your butt in three out of five rounds of Smash."

"Not if I use Wario or Sonic."

"We'll see about that!"

He totally kicked my ass.

"So looks like nee-chan lost, nee-chan," He teased me. I grumbled incoherently under my breath.

"In all seriousness," I sighed as I got up from the floor. "Are you learning the language?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good, then I expect you to _properly_ call me onii-sama to everyone outside this house."

"Whatever, nee-chan," my brother said slyly.

"You are such a dirtbag," I said with a sigh. He just chuckled. "You do need to practice at least calling me nii-san."

"Ugh, fine. Nii-san! Nii-san! Nii-san! Nii-san!"

"Goddammit! Shut up!" I exclaimed, realizing he was doing it on purpose and ran for my room. I put my bag down and booted up my laptop, which was sitting on top of my desk. I continued to work on the conceptualization for my magnum opus as a writer. If Toko Fukawa could get published as a teenager, then I could get published by the time I graduated Hope's Peak.

I wanted the story I was working on to be perfect. I could come up with dozens of story ideas and concepts and do voice impressions all day long, but my grammar usually left something to be desired. This wasn't going to be the story I told for my practical exam. In fact, I had no idea, right now, what I was going to do for that, but the next time I took a shower I could always come up with something.

As I sat there in front of my laptop, both before and after dinner, I worked on my novel-to-be and got distracted by videogames. I also worked on some fanfiction, publishing a chapter to my current long runner, _Fairy Without Wings_ , before turning in for the night.

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

Waking up to the sound of my alarm, I showered, ate breakfast and gathered my belongings into my backpack just as I had the day before. I was eager to get to school to see Miaka, to see my new classmates, to see Mikan. For once, I was looking forward to school.

However, when Mikan floated into my mind, I blushed, remembering the screw-up I made the day before. However, I then also remembered I promised to challenge Chiaki to Pokémon and had to run back into the house and blow the dust off my old Game Boy Color. _Let's hope the data has held up over the years,_ I thought.

I got to school a little before the first bell, much to my surprise. I had jogged some parts of the way in the fear that I was going to be late. As I sat down in my classroom, only four people were in the classroom: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Yakuza, who I sat as far away from as possible, Mahiru Koizumi, the feisty redhead photographer, Princess Nevermind…and _HER!_ I grinded my teeth as I sat in the corner in view of Hiyoko Saionji. I sat there drumming my fingers against the table in irritation before my concern then became the door to the classroom.

 _Where is…?_

No sooner had I thought that, Mikan opened the door and her face brightened up as she saw me in the corner. I waved her over and she stepped briskly over to my chair. I watched Hiyoko's feet carefully, almost expecting the little bitch to make Mikan trip, but Mikan surprisingly made it over to me without stumbling.

"U-um," Mikan said as she stood next to my desk. "M-may I sit next to you?" she asked timidly, clutching her hands to her chest.

"Sure, take a seat," I told her.

"Th-thank you very much," Mikan said kindly and sat down. We sat in silence as Kizakura-sensei took attendance of who was actually in the classroom and then, predictably, given yesterday, declared free study period within the classroom and for everyone to do whatever they needed to as per their talent.

"I'll see you later," I said to Mikan.

"Oh, okay," she said and then I couldn't bolt from the building fast enough towards the fountain, eager to keep my promise to Chiaki and challenge her to a Pokémon battle. When I got out to the fountain, I almost laughed when I saw Chiaki wearing an Ash Ketchum hat and a Pokéball bag in place of the one she had yesterday. She also had an actual Pokéball in her hand.

"Ready?" she asked. She seemed oddly serious compared to yesterday.

"Uh, we are playing the game, right?" I asked.

"Of course," Chiaki said and then clicked open the Pokéball she was holding. It turned out to be a carrying case for her Gameboy. "I've got my team all set to go. Do you need a moment? I brought spare batteries and the link cable just in case."

"Sounds good and yeah, that might be best."

Chiaki chuckled and smiled. "Take all the time you need."

I took about ten minutes to prepare my team while taking a trip down memory lane. Chiaki then pulled out her link cable and hooked the two systems up. Predictably, I used Mewtwo right out of the gate.

 _Heh,_ I thought. _With Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Psychic and Recover, I can't lose! This thing helped me dominate Pokémon Stadium back in the day! Prepare to meet your match Ultimate Gamer!_ I exclaimed with a smirk.

"Mewtwo first, I figured as much," Chiaki thought. Her first Pokemon turned out to be Chansey.

"Pfft," I scoffed. I hit it with a psychic attack. However, I was not prepared for Chiaki's strategy. She had Chansey use Toxic followed by Softboiled before my Mewtwo could knock it out. "Sunuva!"

By the time Chiaki's Chansey fainted, my Mewtwo was in bad shape. Chiaki's second Pokemon was Jolteon.

 _Aww, crap,_ I thought. Jolteon was one of the few Pokemon faster than Mewtwo, but more importantly it had Pin Missile. However, Chiaki wasn't using it. Instead, she was using Dig. Not only was Jolteon attacking first, but Toxic sapped Mewtwo's strength further to the point that, even when my attack knocked her Jolteon clean out, no matter what she brought out next, my Mewtwo was a goner after only one turn. Chiaki's third Pokemon was Ninetails. It survived Mewtwo's assault and then Mewtwo fainted due to Toxic's poison.

I chose Blastoise next, instantly defeating Chiaki's Ninetails with what little HP it had. However, Chiaki then brought out Venusaur. The F-bomb I dropped could not have been more apropos. With Sleep Powder followed by Solarbeam, my Blastoise didn't last very long. That suited me just fine of course. I had Moltres. With a single Fire Blast, Venusaur was toast, especially since it had to tank my Blastoise's Ice Beam earlier.

I still had 4 Pokémon left. Chiaki only had 2. I felt confident. So what if I lost Mewtwo? I could still win this! Chiaki's 5th Pokemon happened to be Dragonite and things went to hell fast. Between Dragonite's bulk and a Thunderwave/Hyper Beam combo, I not only lost my Moltres, but also my Golem due to Chiaki's Dragonite knowing Surf. It bothered me to no end when her Dragonite survived Golem's Rock Throw with a sliver of health left. She had evened up the score rather quickly, leaving me with only two Pokemon: Machamp and Zapdos.

Chiaki's Dragonite went down with a single Mega Punch, but I was screwed the moment she brought out her final Pokémon: Mewtwo.

"Nooooooooooooooooooo!" I exclaimed and held it all through Chiaki's single Psychic and Ice Beam that flatlined both of my last two Pokémon.

I clutched my Gameboy Color to my face and contorted with rage and shame at being beaten. It seemed that Chiaki was not called the Ultimate Gamer on a whim.

"Do you know why you lost?" Chiaki asked.

I sighed. "Why?"

"Because I knew you would pick Mewtwo first," she said.

I was confused by her statement.

"Everyone does. Mewtwo is unbeatable. Mewtwo is overpowered. It's not Mewtwo that's the problem, it's the known ways to counter it."

"Says the girl that saved Mewtwo for last."

"Well of course, everyone uses Mewtwo," Chiaki smiled only to look at me with a more informative expression, "However, it's just one member of a greater team. It can't carry an entire team by itself…sometimes. That's why I always save Mewtwo for last and employ the strategy that I do. Once you have a feel for the situation, then you send Mewtwo out. He's like a commanding general, he's not supposed to fight on the front lines unless absolutely necessary."

"That's..." I hung my head and sighed. "That's actually a valid criticism." I ran my head through my hair and then gave Chiaki my hand to shake. "Good game, I've been soundly beaten."

Chiaki laughed. "I'd be happy to do this again sometime with other games."

"Actually, if it's all the same to you, I'd like some help beating some of my old N64 games that I could never beat as a kid. Interested?"

"You'd…invite me over…to your house?"

"I don't have a problem. You?"

Chiaki was silent for a little while. She even pulled her hood up over her head as she appeared deep in thought. Finally she pulled it down and said. "I guess it's all right, but…you're going to have to take responsibility."

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "At my house, we treat guests like royalty."

"Ah, that's…" Chiaki started only to stop, smile and say, "Thank you very much. You're a very kind person."

"Aw heck," I said, turning my head to the side, "You're making me blush."

"I actually brought some other games with me, did you want to play some?"

"Ah…really? I mean, I didn't bring any other peripherals with me. My parents usually don't like me playing videogames at school. They've called me an addict."

Chiaki chuckled. "No, I'm an addict. I've lost weight and stayed up for 48 hours straight due to game playing."

I laughed. "Still doesn't change the fact that all I have is my Gameboy Color and I had to sneak that out of the house."

"Well then it's a good thing I brought some PC games. The computer lab should be compatible with these. I even have the Oregon Trail. Say, do you know anything about the real history it's based on? I know it's just a game, but I'm curious, since you're American if you know—"

"I do not," I said, answering Chiaki's question before she could finish her sentence. "History isn't my strong suit."

"Ah…I see. Well then, let's still go to the computer lab…I guess."

"Sounds good," I said and the two of us headed straight for it. When we got there, Miaka was there dressed as Noel Vermillion. I only knew it was her because I recognized the cosplay. She was acting a bit out of character from Noel though, tongue out and licking her cheek. She seemed to be engrossed in something.

"Oh hey," I said, "How are you?"

"Huh?" Miaka looked up from her screen. "Oh, hey, Alex, just a little Final Fantasy XIV." She then looked at Chiaki. "Who's the Pokémon enthusiast?"

"Ah, this is Chiaki Nanami, my class's Ultimate Gamer. Chiaki, this is my friend Miaka Senri, the Ultimate Cosplayer."

"First name basis?" Miaka asked me. "Do you want everyone to call you a rude foreigner?"

"Hey, I got permission," I said and then glanced down at Chiaki. "…right?"

"It's easier for him," Chiaki said as calmly as ever. "I honestly don't mind, especially since he prefers to be called by first name."

"So," I said to Miaka, "What have you been up to since we parted yesterday. Oh, which reminds me," I walked over to Miaka and bopped her over the head with my Gameboy.

"Ouch."

"That's for yesterday. I almost couldn't keep it in my pants you trolling pettanko."

"Whatever do you mean?" Miaka asked fakely. "Me, troll you? Perish the thought."

"Right, like you totally didn't put Mikan in a sexy nurse outfit on purpose."

Miaka burst out laughing. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head sitting down somewhere. Chiaki inserted the disk into the computer and began to install the game. While she installed it, I turned to Miaka and said, "So, tell me, what exactly has your day been like since we parted ways yesterday?"

Miaka turned to face me, crossed her legs and began to tell me what I'd missed.

 **End of Chapter 4**

* * *

 **(A/N: Like I said, short chapter. Let me turn things over to my co-writer and see what exactly we can learn about her character and Class 77-A)**


	5. Covert Ops, Miaka-hen

**(CA/N: Setsubou here once again. Fun fact: Ultimate Astronaut, Magician, and Cosplayer were all titles we decided on several weeks before they were announced for V3. Miaka suddenly has big shoes to fill!)**

* * *

 **First Day of Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Lunch Time**

You know those moments when people trip in the lunch hall and the food goes everywhere and everyone laughs? Well that just happened, except I'm not laughing. Some busty girl with long brown hair just tripped over her own two feet. If not for her tray covering her crotch, she would've exposed her panties to the entire school. Tripping is usually funny, but this is something else.

Alex's reaction didn't surprise me at first. He ran over to the girl and helped her up. However, I didn't expect that he'd call me over for help. And did he seriously have to call me by my first name? At least he got the waving over gesture correctly. Timidly, I made my way over to him. I don't like crowds typically. I know that's ironic coming from the Ultimate Cosplayer given my fanbase, but unless I'm at a convention and _trying_ to draw attention to myself, I don't _want_ to.

As I approached Alex, I stood behind him, getting a good look from around his arm at the girl he helped to her feet. The word "moeblob" instantly came to mind. Yeah, I didn't have to ask to know that this was that Mikan Tsumiki he was talking about earlier. Chuckling I whispered to Alex, "Ooooooh, I get it now. I guess that makes sense, knowing you."

"Quit being a smartass," he responded, unamused, "And get her a change of clothes."

Tsumiki suddenly protested. "N-no. Th-that's fine. I-I can…"

 _Yup, stuttering. I'm honestly not even surprised. Next thing I know, I'll find out she owns a puppy._

"Go. Get. Changed." Alex said, punctuating each word.

Mikan caved in immediately. "O-okay!" Tensing up she then added. "B-but, I-I don't have a-anything else to change into. Sh-should I just walk around in my lingerie?"

 _Did she seriously just ask that?_

"No!" Alex exclaimed, blushing. "M-Miaka, Sh-she can borrow one of your cosplay outfits for today, right?"

I could read the situation like foreshadowing in an anime. Alex had a huge crush on this girl, Tsumiki. He'd barely met her this morning and he was fawning and stuttering over her consistently. And yet, we'd known each other for years, he'd met me in person for the first time ever and his interest was so bleh, that for some reason I felt seriously annoyed all of a sudden. _Tch, of course he gives that reaction over the giant chest moeblob,_ I thought while grumbling under my breath, _but doesn't bat an eye at me even though it's the first time he's seen me._

"Could you repeat that?" Alex asked me, obviously wondering what I was muttering.

I forced a smile and said, "I said, sure. Of course I can." I grabbed Tsumiki's arm. "Come on, moeblob. I've got an outfit with your name on it in the third floor bathroom."

"O-okay," Tsumiki stuttered as she let me guide her by the hand out of the lunchroom. Milk and soup continued to drip from her and noodles fell off her clothing and hair until we got to the third floor. In addition to hiding outfits all over campus, I also brought my fair share of hair care products. Conveniently, I had shampoo and conditioner stashed away, along with some hair dye, but the latter wasn't necessary right this second. That smell wasn't going to wash out with just a change of clothes. I had deodorant too. It would at least mask the smell if the stench wasn't just on Tsumiki's uniform.

As we entered the bathroom, I leaned against a stall, folded my arms and said, "All right, remove those clothes and wash your hair."

"Y-yes," Her statement was so timid it was almost pathetic. Tsumiki removed her uniform in its entirety, discarding it onto the floor next to her. I handed Tsumiki the shampoo I stashed away so she could wash her hair in the sink.

"You should wash your face too while you're at it. It'll help get the stench out."

"I-I'm sorry my face smells," Tsumiki said, almost bursting into tears.

 _Okay I know how I meant it, but I'm pretty sure that's not how she took it._ I sighed in a way that kept in character with my Phi cosplay and then did my best Chiaki Omigawa impression. "I'm talking about the food particles that probably left a stench," I exasperated, holding my arms out, palms up. "You need to take proper hygienic care of yourself, all right?"

"Y-yes, I-I'm sorry you're so mad at me."

I held my fist under my chin, "I'm not mad." I folded my arms. "Alex has a soft spot for you, I'm just trying to help. I'm not the type of person that hurts the people my friends like."

"U-um…thank you very much," Tsumiki said to me with pleading eyes.

 _Okay, I'm really starting to get a feel of what he sees in her. Kind of annoying actually,_ I thought. I sighed. _No, no, don't get mad. It's not her fault._ I then pondered for a moment. _Although, this gives me an idea._ I grinned demonically. _No, two ideas._ I then started taking my clothes off.

"U-um…wh-what are you…?"

"I'm changing too, what does it look like?" I asked, talking in my normal voice. "Dry your face off with paper towels and I'll give you the costume I think suits you."

"O…kay," Tsumiki said and followed me over to where I stashed a few costumes in a garment rack conspicuously zipped up and protected at the edge of the bathroom. However, first, I grabbed my outfit: Lilith.

 _All right, lady killer,_ I said, thinking that sarcastically with regards to Alex. _Let's see how you deal with this._ I started to chuckle probably too sinisterly for my own good, but I didn't hear Tsumiki complain, thank god. As I switched outfits, securing my wig to my head, I then reached into the rack and pulled out a nurse cosplay. "Here you go," I said. "You're the Ultimate Nurse, right?"

"Y-yes, h-how did you…?"

"The bandages are a dead giveaway," I told her. "Well, I mean, unless you're the Ultimate Klutz."

"I-I'm sorry I'm so clumsy," Tsumiki apologized.

 _Okay, I can't tell if this is an act or if she's seriously this broken._ "Whoa, hold on there, it's just some friendly ribbing. I didn't mean it."

"No, it's okay," Tsumiki said, staring at the floor. "I-I know how clumsy and pathetic I am. I'm sure you're only paying attention to me because you were asked to."

 _Good god, what do I do with this chick?_ "That's not true," I said, blurting out the words without thinking. "Well, okay, _technically_ it's true, but I'd at least say hi to you in the hallway if I saw you."

Tsumiki sniffed and the tears seemed to dry…for the moment.

"Here," I said, slipping the garment off its hook. "Let's get you into this outfit. Let me know if you need any help."

"O-okay," Tsumiki said and proceeded to slip into the outfit I gave her. Predictably, it was uncomfortably tight in the chest. That's what happens when you put an A-cup uniform on a D-cup person. Fortunately, we were able to sidestep the issue by leaving a few buttons undone. The skirt was a bit short, but it seemed Tsumiki had equal proportions above and below the waist. I'd say she was lucky, but chests that large tend to cause back pain. I also happen to take pride in my smaller proportions. At the very least, after Tsumiki was dressed, I took one look at her and smirked, pleased with my work.

 _You reap what you sow, Alex._ He was going to _flip out_ when he saw this. No guy can resist the temptation of a sexy nurse cosplay. _Let's see that gentlemanly façade hold up to this._ Façade might not have been the right word for it, but I know Alex pretty well and he only acts like a gentleman to mask the fact that he's an unabashed pervert on the inside. I would know because he played _that_ game and liked it.

I held up my hands like I was framing Tsumiki in a portrait. "Perfect," I said, winking and sticking my tongue out. "It's like a brand new you."

"U-um…y-you want this back, right?" Tsumiki asked me.

"Well you don't _have_ to return it," I said. "I can always get or make another one. I'd be surprised if you wanted to keep it though given it doesn't fit you properly. It might tear if you breathe too hard even with the top buttons undone." I was exaggerating, but I don't know if she knew that. However, after a pause, I sighed and said. "You know what, keep it." I smiled at her. "Consider it a gift."

"Ah…" Tsumiki stood with her mouth agape, a little surprised by my good will…only to burst into tears. "No one's ever given me a gift before," she said, rubbing her eyes as the tears started flowing out like a pair of waterfalls. "At least, not like this. Usually people's gifts to me are cigarette burns or making me pay off their parent's credit card debts."

 _What kind of people does she hang around with?_ I wondered, flabbergasted.

Tsumiki then tilted her chin back and wailed, "Thank you very much, Miaka-chan!" She then burst into tears.

I just stared blankly at her. _Oh I hope Alex knows what he's getting himself into._ I saw Tsumiki's scars when she was in nothing, but her lingerie. Whatever she'd been through in life, it had certainly framed her into the fragile creature standing in front of me. _I think I'll let Alex know what exactly he's trying to romance._ Still, even though Tsumiki wasn't exactly my type, she definitely wasn't a bad person and, above all else, she definitely needed a friend or two…or five. Hanging out with her under normal circumstances didn't seem so bad.

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

Mikan and I left the bathroom together. I thought about searching for Alex immediately to spring my trap of trolling, but I decided to let my bait simmer until I saw him naturally. To that end, seeing how my cosplay affected one of my other classmates didn't sound like a bad plan…or just hanging out with them in general.

However, as I pondered this, I suddenly heard the sound of a tape measure being rolled out near my leg. I looked down and saw none other than Kamishiro. He appeared to be measuring the length of my leg.

"Very nice, Nee-chan. As expected of the Ultimate Cosplayer."

"Kamishiro, you pervert!" I shouted. I raised my leg to kick him, but he suddenly vanished. I looked down and he was on the ground, gazing up at my unintentionally spread legs.

"Veeeeeery nice," he said with a perverted grin.

I jumped more than half a dozen meters forward away from him and quickly spun around. I was well practiced in my Lilith stilettoes. A jump and pirouette like that was nothing. However, Kamishiro had vanished yet again. I looked behind me. He was leaned forward and checking out my ass. I had a right mind to pull out my stun baton. In fact…

In one swift motion, I pulled the weapon out of the folds of my leotard and tried to attack Kamishiro with my otaku-repellent weapon. I had a permit. It was totally legal for me to carry this.

"Oho, a stun gun. Haven't seen one of those in a while. Someone's a dangerous lady. All right, I know when it's better to hold off." Yuto looked at me with the most perverted grin ever. "It's one thing to admire, but aggravating an armed woman is like flirting with death. Not that I mind that. Heh heh, I'll swing you around to my side in due time, I'm sure."

Unamused, I pressed the power button to my stun baton.

"Whoa, hold on a moment there," Kamishiro said and suddenly had a bag of breads in his hand. He held up the bag to me. "A peace offering to a lovely nee-chan."

I looked at Kamishiro with skepticism, "Did you drug these?" I asked.

"What?" He seemed shocked by my accusation. "Heavens no! I EAT these!" He then gave me a childlike innocent smile. "I'm just sharing. I love my older nee-chans with all my heart. See, I'm the youngest in every school year, my birthday comes around at a time where I _should_ be in the next grade down, but my mother was very swift with paperwork when I was a toddler, so I'm almost always a year behind everyone else. So every girl in class is a nee-chan to me. Ain't nothing wrong with the female body."

 _Well…I can't argue that. But you take it too far._

"No matter the size, there's always something to admire in a girl. And you've got quite a nice figure. Even someone like me has standards though. I would never drug a nee-chan or kidnap her, even though I easily could. There's such a thing as an abuse of power you know."

 _I think you abuse it too much already._

"So would you like one?"

"Well…" _I suppose it couldn't hurt._ "Fine." I reached into the bag and drew out the first thing I could get my hands on.

"Ah, a chocolate filled croissant. It's almost poetic, an acquired taste most people would turn away from, but those that enjoy it, understand it. You and that pastry are very similar."

I wasn't really listening to his ramblings. I was already eating. "If this is what poetry tastes like, it's delicious."

"Right? Right?" Kamishiro asked rhetorically. "Tell you what, Senri nee-chan, you can have a pastry every time you talk to me. Who knows, I might eventually decide you're my favorite nee-chan."

"Don't get your hopes up," I told him. "Remember that I'm well-armed," I said, holding up my stun baton.

"Er, yes, yes, I'm aware. I mean…it's not like you could hit me, but…well…never can be too careful."

With that, Kamishiro suddenly disappeared from my vision and then subsequently did not return, gone as quickly as he had appeared. I looked at the half-eaten pastry in my hand. Kamishiro was a creep, but he did seem to genuinely be a good person under all that gross perversion. And hey, if it meant getting free pastries, being leered at wasn't the _worst_ price to pay. It's not like it's a foreign experience to me.

Now standing all alone, I had time to check out my dorm room. Every student at Hope's Peak is given the opportunity to have their room furnished to their liking. I went with the default layout for a girl's dorm. At the very least, I did get help moving a lot of my stuff from home to hear. I mean, I'm practically going to live here now till I graduate. Most of my costumes are here, especially my spares. They're all hanging in the closet, though some are stored under my futon. I got a bed frame instead of a box spring so I could store some bins under it.

I checked the fridge. It was fully stocked in the way I requested. I grabbed an apple and bit into it. It was fresh and juicy. Perfect. Seemed the fridge was working perfectly. I checked my pantry. I had plenty of cereal and granola bars for emergencies. The oven and stove worked as did the microwave. My game stations had already been delivered too it seemed, as had my laptop.

"Guess everything's here," I said, thinking aloud. I finished my apple, tossing the core in the trash. I then neatly removed my cosplay outfit and discarded the pieces into my laundry basket for later. I had a spare Lilith costume and I absolutely needed a shower and no _not_ because of Kamishiro. I had been surrounded by cute girls all day. I _needed_ a shower.

I stepped inside the bathroom. The towels and bath mat were appropriately color coordinated to my bedsheets. I brushed my cheek against one of the towels. It was nice and fluffy. My toiletries, especially my makeup, were on the sink or in the medicine cabinet. With that checked off my list of things to take care of, I ran the water and stepped into the shower for an appropriate amount of personal time.

After taking care of business and a thorough wash off, I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off and immediately suited up in my spare Lilith cosplay. Alex was _so_ going to get it.

Strutting inside the building, I began deliberately looking for him. It's not that I had a sexual attraction to him or anything, but I was going to prove to him once and for all that the small end of the boob spectrum could be attractive. Morrigan Aensland was one of his fictional waifus so I figured if I could pull of a convincing Lilith Aensland in real life it might get a proper reaction. When I found him standing around in the hallway he was with two other guys that I presumed were from his class, though one of them looked like the cook that had been in the kitchen earlier when I had lunch.

Seduction was never my game. I'm actually a shy girl at heart. However, when it comes to cosplay, I consider myself second to none when it comes to character imitation. Shamelessly, I strolled towards the three of them and said in a seductive coo, "Oh, boys!" As they turned around, I flashed the trademark Aensland pose with my hands up by my shoulders, palms facing towards me. I made careful adjustment to the positioning of my legs to make sure that my right foot was forward, showing off the curvature of my muscles. I could play this game, but on _my_ terms. Kamishiro took me far too much by surprise for my liking.

The portly guy in the chef hat examined me as he stroked his chin. "I see…" he said, his eyes burning in to me. "I see, so you're the Ultimate Cosplayer." He then gave me the most perverted grin I'd ever seen, even by Kamishiro's standards, as blood dribbled from his nose. "I've never dressed for the occasion, but I'll try anything once."

 _Oh god, Alex has one too,_ I thought dejectedly. The other guy with the pink hair wasn't much better.

He whistled, gave me a thumb's up and said, "Those are some nice curves you have there, Miaka-san." I'm guessing Alex told him my name and the guy must be genuinely informal or a rude asshole to address me by my first name.

Of course, neither opinion mattered. I looked at Alex, studying his face with the utmost scrutiny. However, my prank fell into pieces when he said in the most deadpan way possible. "Huh. Lilith. Neat." As though this was nothing new to him at all.

I had a right mind to slap him upside the head, but I withheld my anger and settled for looking peeved, turning around and walking away. I kept my frustration built up until I returned to my dorm room, chucking my wig at the wall and growling in frustration. "I can't believe him!" I exclaimed. Seriously, I get that he's interested in bigger boobs, but for crying out loud throw me a _bone_. It wasn't that I was trying to attract Alex, but more a self-image thing.

I buried my face in my hands and screeched into them in annoyance.

Sexuality aside, is it too much to ask that a guy I know doesn't have very high standards finds me attractive or can at least acknowledge it? If someone like him can't find me attractive, how is a cute girl supposed to? …That's how logic works, right?

Well, I certainly wasn't leaving this room until tomorrow. I was too embarrassed. I laid out my cosplay for tomorrow—Noel Vermillion—stripped down into just an undershirt and panties and started playing some World of Warcraft.

Unlike Final Fantasy, there were no official Japanese servers. There was, however, a small but thriving community of players in the nearest server for a good connection. It was easy to get lost in games like this. I loved being able to play a role and live a life other than plain, boring old me. Cosplay was the closest I could get to achieving it in reality, but in the game world, I could be anyone I wanted.

As the clock rolled towards 10pm, I remembered the "lights out" rule at Hope's Peak. To avoid aggravating or incurring the wrath of my more studious and well-behaved classmates, I shut down my laptop and climbed into bed, trying my best to get some sleep. Normally I'd stay up till about 2 or 3 in the morning, but when school was in session, I was a good girl.

At 7am, as per Hope's Peak's rules, lights off was officially over and I woke up with my ahoge drooping down over my nose. A little hair spray would fix that.

Showering and dressing for the day, making sure to tightly secure my blonde wig to my head so that it could only come off if I removed it, I examined myself in the mirror. Dressed as I was, no one would be able to tell the difference between me and the actual Noel Vermillion. I had to leave Bolverk behind of course. Even if the guns were fake, I had managed to get them to make realistic gun sounds and I didn't need to cause unnecessary problems. School policy dictated that weapons were allowed as per necessity of a student's talent so I didn't know if fake guns qualified for mine. The stun gun was self-defense and I had a legal permit on that outside of school grounds, so that was different.

Before I left my dorm room, I did a few Kanako Kondo impressions, making sure I had the right pitch down. Perfect imitation meant perfect imitation, but even I had to practice to get certain characters just right.

Stepping out of my dorm room, I headed for the dining hall I had lunch in yesterday for some breakfast. A whole display of oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, omelets and crepes were laid out on a buffet table along with fresh fruit, cheese cubes and bagels with some kind of fish on it. Lox I think they were called. Alex had told me about it before. He said it was good.

Sitting down with a healthy combination of what was laid out, I took a seat by the window at a two-person table in the lunchroom. I was content to eat alone, especially since it didn't look like a lot of my classmates were early risers like I was. It wasn't even 8 o' clock yet and the first bell wasn't until 9, not like that mattered for most students. I was certain a few of my classmates, like a certain rude Neurologist, would be stationing themselves inside certain facilities almost all day in the pursuit of knowledge and progress. Me? Well, study sessions on basic academics didn't seem so bad. Or, maybe I'd slip out to the computer lab and game for a bit.

As I pondered this, a very chipper voice called out to me, "Hello there, mind if Ibuki sits with you?"

I looked up and _oh god that hair!_ It would be excusable if it was a wig, but I know wigs and judging from the style, it seemed this girl got a bit crazy with the hair dye and hair clips. Seriously, what was with the oni curls? As for her preferred style of dress…did she get dressed in the dark? And holy crap she had a lot of facial piercings. I couldn't believe just now that that cute voice had come from someone like her.

However, her sudden smile made it clear that, yes, that's where that voice just came from. "I didn't see you here yesterday. Ibuki might not be as good at seeing as she is listening, but I remember all sorts of names and faces and a doe-eyed blonde like you would stick out like Ibuki's hair."

 _Doe-eyed…yeah that does sound like Noel. And she's not wrong about the hair._

"So, which class or you? Do you need help? Can Ibuki help you?"

 _Dear god, her energy is almost as suffocating as Ikuta's…no…wait, it's higher._

"I-I'm good," I said, breaking character to settle the problem. "I-it's just a wig." I stood up and proudly proclaimed. "I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer, Miaka Senri, currently dressed the part of Noel Vermillion from BlazBlue. So, you're Ibuki…"

"Mioda. That's Mio as in Ibuki MIOda. Da as in Ibuki MioDA. I as in Ibuki Mioda and Buki as in IBUKI Mioda."

"So you're totally _not_ Ibuki Mioda then," I said with a trollish smirk.

Ibuki just laughed. She then looked at me with a sparkle in her eye. "So, mind if I sit and eat lunch with you. Ibuki likes hanging out with cute girls."

"Oh sure, I…wait, what did you say?"

"Oh, can Ibuki not sit with you?" she asked, scratching her head.

"What? No! Of course you can, but…cute?"

"Of course you're cute. You're super-duper cute, like a puppy."

 _You know, for all my self-image issues yesterday, this is a surprising turn around._

"Sit down, Ibuki," I said, gesturing to the chair.

"Yahoo!" Ibuki exclaimed. "I made a friend in Miaka-chan! Nyaaaaaa!" she meowed like a cat.

 _Okay forget what I said earlier…Ikuta and this girl aren't even cut from the same cloth!_

Ibuki sat down and went on and on about how much she loved being a musician, talking about her career as a musician and how she broke away from her band in the pursuit of being true to herself.

"Say, say, Miaka-chan, what's your favorite type of music?"

"Um…dunno. I don't know if I have a favorite."

"Hah hah," Ibuki laughed. "Some people are like that." She then became very serious. "But Ibuki looooooves heavy metal. It's the sound of a musician's soul!"

 _Sure, if you like losing your hearing,_ I thought.

"Hey! Hey! Miaka-chan, you should listen to Ibuki play sometime."

"I…should?"

"Uh huh! Uh huh! Ibuki's looking to start a new band for herself and Miaka-chan would be perfect. I bet you sing really well since you've got to do so many different voices as a cosplayer."

Well she wasn't wrong, but I'm usually too shy to sing out of character.

"I'll think about it," I said.

"Take all the time you need. No rush, but the only correct answer is yes," she said, winking at me. She then, with no warning, began devouring her food just like the demon her hair reminded me of. I timidly tried not to be intimidated by her energy. As I took a bite out of one of my pancakes I could only wonder if I should have Ibuki and Ikuta meet face to face or if their energy would cause a nuclear explosion. Either way, Ibuki seemed like she'd be a fun person to be around. Somehow her personality amped up her attractiveness way more than I thought it would for me.

After breakfast, I decided to just go to the computer lab and play some more Final Fantasy. I was in the middle of a quest when Alex walked in with a girl with light brown hair wearing a baseball cap and carrying a Pokéball bag on her back. I didn't notice him at first, but he made his presence known when he walked in. When he asked how I was, I stated, "Oh, hey, Alex, just a little Final Fantasy XIV." I then looked at his traveling companion. "Who's the Pokémon enthusiast?" _Whoa, she's cute._

"Ah, this is Chiaki Nanami, my class' Ultimate Gamer. Chiaki, this is my friend Miaka Senri, the Ultimate Cosplayer."

"First name basis?" I asked him. "Do you want everyone to call you a rude foreigner?"

"Hey, I got permission," He said defensively, but calmly. However, he then glanced down at Nanami and asked to reassure himself "…right?"

"It's easier for him," Nanami said as calmly. "I honestly don't mind, especially since he prefers to be called by first name."

"So," Alex then said to me, "What have you been up to since we parted yesterday? Oh, which reminds me…" I was not prepared when he bopped me over the head with his handheld game console. Even through the wig, I felt that.

"Ouch."

"That's for yesterday. I almost couldn't keep it in my pants you trolling pettanko."

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked with an insincere tone. I knew exactly what he meant, but after yesterday I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of being straight with him. "Me, troll you? Perish the thought."

"Right, like you totally didn't put Mikan in a sexy nurse outfit on purpose."

I then burst out laughing completely in contrast to the character I was cosplaying as just to troll Alex and take pride in the fact that my _other_ prank had gone off without a hitch. I probably sounded like a card carrying evil villain.

When I calmed down, Alex simply asked me, "So, tell me, what exactly has your day been like since we parted ways yesterday?"

I shrugged a little and proceeded to tell him more about my experiences from the afternoon and this morning. I obviously omitted the stuff he already knew as well as the shower… part. It wasn't his business.

"I see, so you've got your own pervert that you're dealing with. At least yours seems strictly interested in women."

"Wait, yours is…"

"Anything that moves."

"Ouch," I said. Even I had to feel sympathy in that regard. Alex wasn't particularly fond of being flirted at by men. I think he's only more skittish when he's around bees.

"And it sounds like you met Ibuki too. She's…uh…she's a piece of work."

"You can say that again. She seems like the fun type, though. Of course, knowing you I'll bet you just cross her off as not worth your time because she's not the bustiest chick out there," I said offhandedly.

"You kidding? Ibuki seems like a really nice person. Maybe not as a girlfriend, but I'd have no problems hanging out with her. Kind of like how you and I get along."

 _Did he seriously just put me and her in the same category?_ Why does that bother me?

"Alex, it's ready." I heard Nanami say to him. It seemed she had loaded up something onto the computer across the room from where I was sitting.

"Kay," Alex said, turning his head to acknowledge her. "We can talk more later," he said to me.

"Understood," I said, nodding. I watched him walk over and take a seat next to Chiaki. The two seemed to be having fun, kind of like how he and I would sometimes skype and he'd do a private let's play for me of a game I had recommended him. So far my batting average it 100% on recommendations…even if he has a few choice words about one of them.

Some hours passed and eventually I realized it was time to get lunch. I invited Alex and Nanami to come eat with me, but they said they weren't hungry. Fine, see if I care if he doesn't want to eat with me two days in a row. I couldn't find Ibuki to talk to in the lunchroom either so in the end, I sat by myself.

After eating, I had some time to myself to decide what to do. I figured it might be a good idea to hang out with one of my classmates, but who? That was the question.

* * *

 **FREE TIME!**

* * *

After putting much thought into it, I decided I wanted to hang out with Hiwasaka a little. I mean, she did manage to actually land a hit on Kamishiro, so maybe she could teach me how to do that.

I found Hiwasaka hanging out in front of the school store mumbling to herself. "I was hoping to find a few more things for my magic kit, but there's nothing I don't already have, how disappointing."

I wonder for a moment if this might've been a bad time to talk to Hiwasaka, but spoke up anyway, "H-hey," I said.

"Hmm? Oh…wait…have we met?"

"It…um…it's me, Senri," I said.

Hiwasaka narrowed her gaze and stared at me intently. "Ohhhhhh, the cosplayer girl! Oh wow I thought you were a completely different person for a second there!" She exclaimed with a bright smile, only to fold her arms, blush and say, "Er, I mean…I-I could've figured that out…y-you just didn't give me enough time."

 _Oh my god! She's a tsundere! I mean, I had an idea after what she did to Kamishiro, but holy shit!_

"S-so what did you want? Oh, I know maybe you came here to test my talent?" Hiwasaka said with a cocky grin. "I must reiterate, my tricks are completely one hundred percent genuine sorcery. Well, unless you can prove otherwise."

"Er, could we just talk? I actually was hoping to know a little more about you?"

Hiwasaka seemed surprised. "Eh, really?" She crossed her arms and pouted. "No one's been interested in knowing about me before. I'm not really sure what to say." She looked at me with a serious expression, arms at her sides. "Usually people just want to see my tricks or challenge me on my authenticity. No one's actually wanted to just get to know me. U-um…s-sorry, but…I…I'm really on the spot here."

"Another time then?" I asked.

"Yes! Definitely! I'll think of something to tell you the next time we chat. Sorry, but I gotta run for now."

With that, Hiwasaka sprinted off. I was surprised by her reaction when I said I wanted to chat. I suppose different people feel different ways about their talent. And I have to wonder: just how much faith and pride does Hiwasaka have in hers?

After parting from Hiwasaka, I still had a little bit of time before I was going to just shove off back to my room and play more Final Fantasy. However, as I wandered through the first floor hallways, a chipper voice called out to me. "Oi! Excuse me!"

I turned around to see who was calling out to me. My heart seemed to skip a beat as I beheld one of the cutest girls I had ever seen. She had striking, apple-red hair cut in a bob that framed a captivating pair of olive eyes. Her skin was as fair as mine, but with a light dusting of youthful freckles across her cheeks. It took me a moment to realize I had been staring at her open-mouthed and had yet to actually respond.

"Y-yes! Hi! Um… c-can I help you?"

The girl held up her camera. "Mahiru Koizumi from Class 77-B. Say cheese. Just kidding!" She then took a photo of me without warning with the flash on. I was certain I blinked.

"Gah!" I cried instinctively.

"Perfect!" Koizumi exclaimed.

I blinked for a few moments still seeing stars as I stared at Koizumi. _Did she dazzle me with her cuteness or her camera?_

"Hey, I heard from a new friend of mine that you're the Ultimate Cosplayer, is that right?"

I wanted to say: who told you? In a snippy manner, making sure she didn't get her info from someone like Kamishiro, but all that came out was a very timid, "I-I'm M-Miaka S-Senri. C-Class 77-A." _Ack! What's wrong with me?! I sound like Tsumiki!_

Koizumi became ecstatic. "Excellent, so you are the person I was told about." Koizumi held up her camera again. "I was sort of hoping to get a few more photos than the one I just took of you." She smiled nervously at me. "It would mean a lot to me to do a collage of a single subject of study and your talent seems like it would go perfectly with a bunch of different angles and outfits and…" she slowed down her enthusiasm and then looked at me concerned. "Are you…feeling okay?"

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "Sure! Uh…why wouldn't I be?"

Koizumi looked at me concerned. "Well…to be quite frank, you're fidgeting like you have a pair of invisible squirrels somewhere on your person."

Was I really doing that? I looked at my hands. Oh dear god, I was! Jeez, talk about getting into character with the character I was currently portraying. As I continued to stare at Koizumi speechless, I could only think of one thing to do: run and preserve what little I could of my dignity. "Oh...right- well- oh damn I have to go meet Alex soon! It was nice meeting you!" I then sprinted away like a startled rabbit.

"W-wait!" I heard Koizumi call after me. "What about posing for pictures?"

It wasn't until I had gotten a great deal of distance and calmed down that I realized what had just happened. Thinking back, the only times I've acted this skittish around another girl is when I had a crush on her. What the hell was I supposed to do? She was insanely cute! For all the crap I gave Alex I'm ten times worse than him when it comes to romance. I wasn't sure whether this school year just got way harder or way better.

The only thing I was sure of was I wanted to see more of that girl.

 **End of Chapter 5**

* * *

 **(A/N: Bet you weren't expecting that. Yeah, for all Miaka's snark and sass, she does absolutely terrible around someone she really is attracted towards. If you don't believe me, you can ask her creator, Setsubou. Chapter 6 is going to go back to my side of things as well as chapter 7 and then we'll be back with Miaka for chapter 8. Some…interesting developments are going to happen over the course of the next several chapters. And there will be random timeskips coming up in the near future (only about a month or two so we can introduce Yukizome quicker. Until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)**

 **(CA/N: I think this is what you call karma?)**


	6. All American Blunder, Alex-hen

**(A/N: My turn again. And I just want to say I actually rather like these next two chapters due to the fact that it highlights my intentions with my Author Avatar on the basis of "has learned the language, knows some customs, doesn't know** _ **everything**_ **and still** _ **thinks**_ **like an American." You'll see what I mean if you're savvy enough by the end of this chapter).**

 **(CA/N: )**

* * *

 **Second Day of Hope's Peak Academy**

After Chiaki called me over the two of us sat down and played Oregon Trail.

"I've never beaten this game without playing as the banker," I said. I was unsurprised when Chiaki selected farmer and managed out her resources accordingly. She named the members of her "family" after classic videogames: Galaga, Tetris, and Pong.

"I've beaten this game a bunch of times before on my home computer," Chiaki said. "I was actually more curious to your input as to the historical accuracy."

"Oh, um. I don't know if I'll be much help, but I can try and answer questions."

As it turned out, the questions Chiaki had were surprisingly simple to answer, all of them removing misconceptions she had of American and Native American relations and how shooting bears in the woods like that wasn't _that_ easy or frequent. The highlight of my watching her play though was when Pong caught Dysentery and then swiftly died. Chiaki made the most hilariously irritated face, puffing her cheeks like a squirrel and looking mad.

"You okay?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"If there's one thing I don't like in games, it's being punished for doing nothing wrong," Chiaki remarked.

While we were playing, Miaka asked if we wanted to go get lunch, but we were so engrossed in our game we declined. We could always eat later. She left the lab without us.

Chiaki did manage to win, surprisingly with only the death of Pong, may its soul rest in peace. As the final segments of the game rolled through, I said to Chiaki, "You know, I bet Nagito could beat this game without losing a single party member, his talent being luck and all."

"I've told you before," Chiaki said. "It's not about winning or losing, it's about having fun. Having said that…" she paused and then smiled, chuckling to herself a little. "It would look great on YouTube."

"I know, right?" I said, laughing. "Hey, maybe another day we can grab him out of the hallway and ask him to play."

"I suppose we could," Chiaki said, but not in a very happy tone.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"It's nothing," she said calmly. Her stomach then growled really loudly. "Er, shall we get lunch?" she asked.

"Together? People will think we're dating, won't they?"

"It's fine, isn't it? You and Senri-san were eating lunch together yesterday, weren't you so I don't think it's a problem…probably?"

 _You could sound more sure of yourself when you say that,_ I thought. I pushed my chair back. "All right, let's go eat."

Chiaki and I had a splendid lunch together. Of course, unlike me, she didn't seem to eat very much. Even Miaka's portion yesterday was bigger. As we ate, I said to her, "So, there were a lot of games I've never beaten in my childhood, or at least, not without cheating. Do you think you can?"

"What games?" Chiaki asked.

"Well three stand out: Donkey Kong 64, Pokémon Stadium, and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter."

"That's a very violent game to be playing, isn't it?" Chiaki asked. "I'm afraid I've only ever heard of it. I never played it as a kid."

"Ah, right, the whole children are innocent, we must keep them from seeing blood and playing with guns," I said in a mocking tone.

"Still…violent videogames can have adverse effects on the mind…in some gamers," Chiaki said with a serious expression. "Sure, the media blows it out of proportion, but…some people just can't seem to draw the line between reality and fantasy."

"We call those people: insane," I said.

"I don't think it's fair to just write them off as insane and wash your hands of it," Chiaki said, still taking the topic seriously. "It's like going swimming along the coast. Your body still has remnants of the waves hitting you even after you come home and go to sleep. It's the same with some gamers. You sometimes forget that you have a life outside the game you're playing." Chiaki suddenly looked sad. "Or you might forget you have a family."

I blinked for a moment. It sounded like Chiaki was drawing upon personal experience. "Uh…Chiaki?"

"Ah…sorry…I didn't mean to get so detail heavy. What were we talking about?"

"Uh, violent videogames," I said.

"Ah, right. Turok, was it? Do you still have the game? I actually would like to try playing it. I don't think I could beat it in one night, but…"

"Don't you have a thing against violent videogames?"

"I wouldn't call it a thing, more like I'm conscientious of what it can do to people. I'll try any game once."

"Well, you certainly have an innocent outlook on the market."

"Well, I think it's wrong to write off a game simply because it has bad reviews. Think about it, most of the time, a programmer poured their heart and soul into making it. It's wrong to hate a game simply because you don't like what it has to offer. So, I try to enjoy as many games as I can, in spite of their flaws."

Upon being bestowed with this cosmic nugget of wisdom, I said to Chiaki, "You know, you're probably one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"You're kind for saying so," Chiaki said with a smile.

"Okay, we'll definitely make a night out of it. I want to see the Ultimate Gamer in action by helping me put my childhood nightmares behind me. I want to bury the hatchet on the games that I could never as a kid."

Chiaki smiled at me. "I'd be happy to assist." She finished eating what was left on her plate and said, "I'll meet you at the fountain at around 5pm, okay? Don't be late."

"Sounds like fun," I said.

Chiaki smiled and then walked away. She definitely did seem like she would make a good friend, someone I could count on if I needed moral support, just like Miaka.

After I finished my lunch, I left the cafeteria and decided I'd take advantage of the free time I had by hanging out with another one of my classmates. Which one today?

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

As I pondered who to talk to, I became conscientious of the fact that, in spite of being rather skinny, I still had a bit of a stomach problem. And by that I mean that I thought I could use a bit of muscular toning on my abs rather than the flabbiness I had had since middle school. So to that end, I decided I'd talk to Nekomaru. I figured maybe someone like the Ultimate Team Manager could give even a wimp like me some pointers of how to stay healthy. I really did want to give all of my classmates a chance…even if Fuyuhiko did terrify me being a Yakuza and all that. That included Hiyoko too. As bitchy as she was _maybe_ if I approached her with the olive branch I could see a less rotten side to her, but that was a low priority compared to everyone else. In fact, I deemed it the _lowest_ priority.

But that was neither here nor there at the moment, gathering myself, I ventured through the building to look for Nekomaru. Unsurprisingly, I found him in the second-floor gym lifting weights. What was surprising was the fact that the weights seemed uncharacteristically low for someone of his muscle mass. I waited until he was done doing reps, watching him sit up and take a breather. His jacket was hung up elsewhere, leaving him in just his white wife beater. I never really understood why white tank tops were called that. It seemed like a really odd, stereotyped name. For crying out loud, even I own one.

"Hmm, oh," Nekomaru said, noticing me. "Goldrose, right?"

 _At least he isn't adding an honorific,_ I thought. "You can call me by my first name if you'd like," I told him. "It feels weird hearing people refer to me by last name when we're classmates."

Nekomaru laughed heartily. "A foreigner like you would think that I suppose. Still, if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to call you by last name. Being a manager and all, you tend to do that anyway," Nekomaru then laughed as he joked, "especially cause that's what's written on the back of everyone's jerseys."

"Hey, fine by me. Whatever you're comfortable with, Nidai," I said. I figured I could still refer to Nekomaru as such to myself, but being polite, I wanted to reflect the same distance and/or respect any student showed me, to show I was a reasonable gentleman-like individual.

"So, what's up?" Nekomaru asked. "You don't seem like the bodybuilding type."

"Actually I had something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh, is that so? Well, I'll do my best to answer," Nekomaru said.

I slapped my stomach. "I've always hated this flab in my stomach. Any basic routine or something you could suggest so I can stay in shape?"

"Huh? You look plenty healthy to me." He suddenly got agitated. "Don't tell me you're one of those anorexic nutcases that thinks a skinny body could be even skinnier."

"What? No! Of course not! I just figured a guy like me should stay in shape while he can. If I was still in America I'd still be doing physical education, but at this school it doesn't seem like that's going to be mandatory for me. And with the way I eat at this school every day, I don't wanna get fat."

"Huh. That's actually surprisingly conscientious of you," Nekomaru remarked, scratching the side of his nose.

"So you'll help?"

"Course I will," he said and then started getting pumped up, "Anyone that comes to me for help is going to get it whether they want it or not!"

 _If they're coming to you for help don't they want it?_ I thought.

"Right, so let's take a look at what we're dealing with." Nekomaru approached me and grabbed my arm, feeling what little mass there was on it. He then poked my stomach.

"H-hey," I said, trying not to laugh. "You know for someone calling me by last name, you're getting awfully grabby."

"Just doing a little diagnosis. A doctor would do the same, right?" he asked.

"Well, I suppose you have a point, but a little warning next time would be nice." Nekomaru just laughed. He had me do a few stretches and then seemed to have a pretty good idea of a routine for me.

"All right, if you wanna get that stomach of yours in shape, I recommend abs crunches. Fifteen…no…twenty at a time and no more than two reps. I recommend doing so once every morning and at night if you can manage it."

"Why no more than two reps?" I asked.

"Reps build stamina, numbers build strength. Do this for long enough and you can kiss that flabby stomach goodbye. Of course, I'll check in with you every morning at the first bell. If I think you're doing all right, I might suggest increasing the number of crunches per rep. You can't improve if you keep taking the easy route."

"Very true," I said.

"Oh and one other thing. Do you eat meat?"

"Huh?"

"Was it a trick question? Or did I ask too fast?" he asked, referring to the idea that I didn't understand what he said due to the language barrier.

"Oh, um, I'm not a vegetarian. But, if you're asking if I eat it every day, my mom or my dad cook depending on who has the time for it every night. I'm not picky, so I eat whatever's put in front of me."

"And you still look like that, huh?" Nekomaru asked rhetorically in almost a whisper. He then went over to where his jacket was hanging and got out a pad of paper and a pencil. "I'm gonna recommend you a protein supplement. Our school has a fully stocked pharmacy on the 4th floor. The girl that runs the lab there is a bit shy, but she knows what she's doing. Tell her Coach Nidai sent you and there shouldn't be any problems." Nekomaru handed me a torn piece of paper. "Here." I looked at what was written on it. It was some sort of grammatically incorrect garble of characters. It was probably a medicine written in Japanese. If there was one thing I knew about pharmaceuticals it was that they all had nonsensical names as per the health board…at least I think that's the case. No one really called headache medicine Advil until it was invited. It was just "headache medicine".

"Thanks," I said to Nekomaru, pocketing the piece of paper. "You know, you're a lot more of a reasonable person that I gave you credit for. I thought with the way you're built and the way you were shouting yesterday you were going to be some kind of muscle head deeming how sports is a way of life."

"Hey, sports aren't everyone's thing. They certainly weren't mine when I was really little."

"Oh?" I said, intrigued.

"Let's just say I had more pressing matters on my mind and leave it at that."

 _Sounds like I'll have to build trust with Nekomaru if I want to hear what's on his mind._

"Oh, I'd be perfectly happy to tell you now, but…"

"But…?" _Wait! Did he just read my mind?_

"I gotta take a shit right the hell now!" Nekomaru exclaimed and pushed past me to run for the bathroom.

 _Oookay, not the most elegant way to end a conversation,_ I thought. _Still, I do have some questions on my mind. I think I'll talk to Nekomaru again. Hell, Sam might need him if he wants to pursue that Hip-hop dance career dream of his. …Let's just hope he's talented enough for Nekomaru's standards._ Sure, I was making assumptions, but I figured the Ultimate Team Manager wouldn't train just _anyone_.

I then felt the paper Nekomaru handed me itch in my pocket. _Well, anyway, fourth floor, right?_

I made my way to the pharmaceutical lab as per Nekomaru's instructions. The door was closed, but unlocked and I could see the back of the head of someone inside. When I entered, I was nearly struck flat by a strange odor. It was like directly sniffing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide mixed with chlorine. My nostrils were on fire.

After taking a moment to get used to the scent, I casually strolled inside. "Excuse me," I said with a near perfect accent. Little phrases like that I'd known ever since I met Miaka.

The person in the room turned around to face me. It was a girl with pale blue hair and a surgical mask over her face. Her bangs were covering one of her eyes and the eye I could see was purple. "Y-yes?" she asked, her voice gentle and shy, just as Nekomaru said she was.

"U-um," I said and pulled the paper out of my pocket. "C-Coach Nidai sent me. He recommended a protein supplement to me."

The girl walked over, studying the paper. "Ah, yes, this looks like his handwriting. So, are you from Class 77 then?"

"I am," I said. "I'm the foreign kid…the non-royal foreign kid. My name is Alex Goldrose, designation Ultimate Storyteller." I bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you…"

"My name is Seiko Kimura, designation Ultimate Pharmacist, Class 76." She bowed back to me, surprisingly lower than mine despite being in the year ahead of me.

"Pharmacist, huh?" I said, standing upright. "Nidai said we had someone running the lab up here, but he didn't mention you were a pharmacist." I had almost expected chemist. I looked around. "Are you in here alone?"

Seiko seemed disheartened by my words. "Ah, no one really visits me up here."

"Really? In a whole year you haven't made a friend here."

"W-well. I-I have a friend, but she…"

It sounded like it wasn't my business.

"Er, anyway, l-let me go get that supplement," she said and gestured for me to hand her Nidai's note. I handed it to her and she walked over to a section of the room where three tall, glass cases were stocked top to bottom. She stopped in front of the left-most one and unfolded the step ladder. "It's interesting you make a mention of friendship," she said as she checked Nidai's note against what was in the cabinet. "Hope's Peak doesn't really require friend making as a necessary graduation requirement and most students here tend to keep to themselves."

"Really? That's odd. I thought Japan was all about comradery and sticking together."

"The focus on producing results over a normal curriculum tends to subvert that. Of course, I suppose that depends on the talent you're trying to cultivate. I have to spend ninety percent of my time in this lab or I won't make any headway."

"What? Do you only leave it to eat and sleep?" I asked.

"Precisely that," Seiko said. "Ah, here we are." She grabbed the supplement from out of the cabinet and walked over to hand it to me. Inside were a bunch of pills. "Take one a day with at least an 8oz glass of juice or water. Orange juice goes the best with this particular concoction."

"Concoction?" I asked, looking at the bottle, holding the top and bottom between my fingertips. "You say that like you made this yourself."

"I…I did," Seiko said.

"Wow, really?" I wasn't sure if I should trust a student's handiwork, but it still sounded impressive to make something like this from scratch.

"Ah, i-it's not poison! I run appropriate clinically sound tests on all my experimental drugs!" she exclaimed, panicking.

"Well, I suppose I can trust the work of the Ultimate Pharmacist. I mean, you want to prove your talent, right? You wouldn't give me something that could kill me." I looked at the tiny print on the bottle. I could barely translate the words for "side effects" on the label. "Although, I would say I'm bad at reading really tiny print. Japanese isn't my first language."

"Ah! I can translate that for you! I'm sorry!" Seiko grabbed the bottle from me and began getting out a sheet of paper, scribbling down a translation rather quickly. "I know German, French, Dutch, English and Spanish. I can give you all five if you'd like."

"Uh…just English is fine, but…why are you all jumpy?"

Seiko stopped writing. "Would it be weird if I said I wanted you to like me?"

"Huh?" _Uh oh. What did I walk into?_

"Er, n-not th-that type of like!" Seiko immediately recanted, waving her hand across her face and shaking her head violently. She then poked her fingers together timidly. "It's just…between you and Coach Nidai…I don't really have a good repertoire with many people."

"Let me guess, the mask," I said, drawing my finger across my upper lip. "I think it makes you look authentic."

"You're kind for saying so. No one else seems to."

I curled my lip to one side. _This is a long shot._ "Kimura," I said, referring to her by last name since she hadn't called me by name yet. So, to maintain emotional distance, I went with her surname out loud. "Do you…want to be friends?"

"Ah…" Seiko looked surprised.

 _Bullseye._

"It's weird, isn't it? To say that you don't care about friendship only to want to be friends with someone you just met."

"I don't think that's weird at all," I said.

"Huh?"

"I actually get where you're coming from, honestly."

"Then…"

"Hmm?"

Seiko's face suddenly lit up like a lightbulb, a bright smile washing over her previously timid face. Well, at least I thought she was smiling. Her mask was covering her mouth. "I would like to count you among my friends, Goldrose-kun."

"Ah…" _You know, I want to correct her about the last name thing, but for some reason I don't mind it coming out of her mouth._ "Fair enough, Kimura-senpai."

She actually laughed. It was far less creepy of one than one might guess from looking at her. "You'll come visit me in the lab, right? I promise not to test weird drugs on you...not without your permission anyway."

"Sure, no problem," I said. _Sounds like Mikan won't be the only one I'll be using my talent on to cheer up._

Seiko laughed for a little bit and then gasped. "Ah! The translation! English, right?"

"Y-yeah," I said. Seiko began transcribing the bottle onto a blank sheet of paper for my benefit.

"Say, Kimura," I said, dropping the honorific for the sake of getting her attention faster and to see if it bothered her any.

"Hmm?"

Good. She didn't seem to be fazed. "Are you familiar with ADHD?"

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?" she asked.

"Ah, good, that saves me an explanation."

She smiled. "Say no more. You want to know if I could fill out your prescriptions for you, right?"

"Well, mine hasn't run out yet…but yes. I…uh…hate to impose."

"N-no, i-it's fine. Bring me the empty bottle and I'll see if I can't get you something specially crafted to your specific case."

"You can do that?" I asked. "Without my medical records?"

"Well if I see what you're on now, interact with you regularly and you tell me what you've been on, I could figure something out," she said.

"Would save us a lot of Yen at home. I appreciate it, Kimura."

She smiled, finished writing her translation and handed both it and the bottle to me. "It's not a problem," she said. "And er…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you…really going to be my friend?" she asked.

"I don't make empty promises," I told her. "Well…not ones like this anyway."

Seiko studied my face for what felt like a few minutes, but had only been one before saying. "All right, I'll trust you."

I smiled, bade her goodbye and then headed out the door. Seiko Kimura, the Ultimate Pharmacist. She definitely seemed like a girl worth getting to know, if only because she'd probably be lonely otherwise. The next time I had free time, it would probably be best I considered her among my choices.

* * *

With my business with Seiko concluded, it was almost 5pm. I still had a little bit of time left so I decided to check in on Mikan. I didn't have time to tell a story to her before I had to go meet up with Chiaki, but I felt it was imperative I see if she was okay. Someone like her I felt needed as much positive attention as possible. If she didn't know I cared, she might think…well I don't know what she might think, but I doubted it would be anything happy.

As I made my way to the nurse's office, I happened upon Hiyoko in the hallway. I said nothing to her. If you don't have something nice to say to someone, don't say anything. Besides, she looked really pissed off. It was only after I stopped in front of the nurse's office that it dawned on me that Hiyoko must've just been here. Quickly, I wrenched the door wide open to one disastrous scene. There was broken glass everywhere and in the middle of it all was poor Mikan trying to clean it up…by hand. She already had cuts on her fingers and I could see the tears in her eyes.

"What the hell happened here?" I asked. "And why are you cleaning that up by hand? That's dangerous!"

"A-Alex!" Mikan gasped. "I-it's fine! I-I'm fine. I…I was just…" she giggled nervously and trailed off, trying to force a smile.

"Don't lie to me like that," I told her sternly.

"L-lie, wh-what are you saying?" Mikan asked, looking surprised.

"Something I read once, girls tend to giggle nervously like you did when they're trying to hide something."

Mikan gasped. "I-is that really true?"

"Whether it is or not, your reaction now just made you seem plenty guilty," I said with a knowing smile.

Mikan turned her head away from me and looked at the ground. "I-I was just getting some vitamin gummies for Hiyoko-chan. And well, I fell and things broke. She um…she chewed me out for making a mess."

"She did _what_?!" I snapped.

"I-it's okay! Really!" Mikan asked. "I-I'm u-used to cleaning up messes like this. S-so…"

"No. It's not okay," I said sternly, finding myself balling a fist. "People shouldn't treat you like that. Nobody deserves to be ridiculed for making a mistake. She should've stayed back to help you clean up. And why the hell are you picking up glass by hand? Where's the dustpan and broom?"

"I-I didn't want to leave the room a mess. Th-there's one by the janitorial closet in the school store, b-but if someone came in here and saw all the broken glass, they'd get mad at me and so…"

I sighed. "I'll get it. Bandage your hands while I'm gone. No picking up more broken glass with your hands, okay?"

"N-no. Y-you don't have to do that! Wh-what do you need? I can clean this place up by myself! Did you need more headache medication? I can get you some! Please don't hate me!"

"Mikan, calm down. It's fine," I said calmly. "I'll be right back with the dustpan."

Mikan looked at me funny for a moment. The expression on her face read…puzzled. I stared back at her for a moment, wondering if she was going to say something, but she burst into tears. "I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to stare. Y-you probably hate me now."

"Mikan, I don't hate you, now bandage yourself up. You're getting blood all over your pretty face. I'll be right back." I smiled at her. "And it would make me happy to see you smile when I get back."

"Ah! W-well…i-if it would make you happy," Mikan did her best to form an awkward smile, "I-I'll bandage myself up right away."

"That's all I ask," I said with a smile and left the room.

I went and got the dustpan she was talking about. There were several in the closet, so I brought two sets. Mikan's hands were perfectly bandaged and she even washed the blood off her face. "T-two sets?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, let's clean this place up," I said, handing her one.

"H-huh? U-us?" she asked.

"I'm as uncomfortable as you letting anyone else walk around in an office covered in broken glass and that anyone else includes you as well. If we work together it'll go by faster. Plus, we can chat while we clean, then it won't seem so boring."

"Ah…ah…" I thought Mikan was going to sneeze with the way she was stammering, but instead she turned on the old waterworks. "I-I'm s-sorry. I-I'm making you do unnecessary things again for me. First yesterday and now today. Y-you don't have to keep h-helping me. I mean, I could clean and you could pick up the broken pieces and try and cut my clothes off with it."

"I will do no such thing!" I exclaimed.

"Eep!" Mikan yelped.

I rubbed the back of my head. "S-sorry, didn't mean to yell."

"N-no, I'm sorry. I made you yell," Mikan apologized.

I sighed. Clearly I wasn't going to make headway with her timid behavior at this rate. I just smiled and said. "Let's just clean this place up. It's not gonna tidy itself up after all."

"Y-yeah," Mikan said. "B-but…"

"Hmm?"

"A-are you really going to talk to me while we clean? I-I mean…w-we could just work in silence."

"That would be extremely awkward," I said. "Besides, communication is the key when working together."

And, just like that, she smiled again. "Thank you very much."

My lip quivered. It was amazing how just seeing Mikan happy made my heart melt. We worked together until the place was clean. Each time we filled our dustpans, the progress of our efforts became clearer and clearer. It was dangerous work with how tiny and sharp the fragments were, but together we managed to get the floor looking clean. I even swept some dust off it while I was at it. It appeared we didn't have an Ultimate Janitor in this school. Fortunately, by the time we were done, I still had plenty of time before I had to go meet up with Chiaki with regards to the distance between here and the fountain.

"So…same time, same place if not earlier?" I asked Mikan before leaving.

"Huh?"

"I was asking if I should stop by and say hello tomorrow. That was the whole reason I came to see you today, you know? I didn't have a headache or anything, I just wanted to say hi, see if you were doing all right. I promised, didn't I?"

"Ah…" Mikan gasped and then started crying again.

"M-Mikan?"

"I-I'm sorry. I-it's just n-no one's ever wanted to just see if I'm okay before. A-and I-I didn't r-really think you'd keep your promise. I-I'm happy, b-but…I'm sorry I'm crying. It…it's just…people tend to ignore me if I'm not the one trying to help them. S-so…n-no one's ever done something so selfless for me before. I-I'm not used to stuff like that."

I approached her. I was tempted to hug her, but I managed to hold back my urges. "Well, that stops today. I'll always try to make time for you. No, I'll go out of my way to make time for you. You seem like you could use someone you could call a friend."

"You said that yesterday too," Mikan said, looking worried. "I-is it really okay for me to call you a friend? Y-you won't get tired of me?"

I wanted to kick whoever gave Mikan such a low opinion of herself. "There's no way that's going to happen, okay? Anyway, I'd stick around longer, but I promised Chiaki we'd hang out for a bit. I'll see you tomorrow, okay, Schmoe?" Something cracked inside my brain. _Idiot!_ I shouted at myself, realizing what I just said.

"Sch-Schome?" Mikan asked, stuttering.

"E-er…w-well…th-that is.." _Great, now I'm the one stuttering._

"Wh-what does that mean? Schmoe?" Mikan asked. "I-is that some sort of American slang for a useless person?"

 _Oh god, it's worse than I thought._

"N-no, I-it's um…how should I explain this?" I had to dance around the truth. I could apologize for lying later, but if she knew what it really meant, I had a feeling things would get very awkward, very fast. "Ah, it's not any real slang. In fact, I don't even remember where I picked up the term. All I know is that it's been used by characters to describe people they think are cute."

"C-cute?"

"We went over this yesterday, didn't we? I do think you're cute."

Mikan looked embarrassed as she smiled. "Y-yeah, y-you did say that. You said you couldn't imagine that not being the case. I was really surprised."

I wanted to close the distance between us, bend Mikan over and just make out with her right there, but I _really_ didn't want to keep Chiaki waiting. Besides, there was always next time. Now I just had to figure out how to make an exit without it seeming awkward. "S-so u-um, l-like I said. I don't want to keep Chiaki waiting. I'll definitely see you tomorrow though."

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Mikan said with a bright smile.

 _She didn't even question it this time. Maybe I am making headway here._

I walked away from the nurse's office and headed outside, meeting Chiaki at the fountain right on schedule. "Ready to go?" I asked her.

Chiaki nodded. "Lead the way."

As we walked to my house, I filled the journey with small talk. "So…Chiaki, what are your opinions on cheat codes?"

"I don't have any inherent problem with them," she said. "Did you think I did?"

"Actually yes. I would've thought the Ultimate Gamer would've disliked the very idea of cheat codes to prove their legend in a competitive circle."

"I told you yesterday, didn't I? It doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you're having fun and while cheating isn't okay in a competition, they're still fun to mess around with. Some games are so hard some people can't beat them without cheat codes. I say if the developers left them in the game intentionally, gamers should use it to their advantage. You mentioned not being able to beat Pokémon Stadium, right? I actually had a hard time with the Poke Cup myself, but then I made a new save file and used the item duplication glitch to copy not just rare candies, but also TMs. Then, I designed some Pokémon specifically for winning that cup."

"Wow, you went that far?"

"I might believe in the fun of playing, but even I refuse to back down from a challenge. Of course, I refuse to hack a game to win. To me, that's _real_ cheating."

"What about hacked ROMs?"

"That's different. That's a fan-made creation of the same engine. You're not cheating, you've created something else entirely. I've actually played a few myself. They're very hard, some of them impossible."

"Well, people are evil sometimes, what can I say?"

"I look at it as some people just want to take the fun out of games. I don't think they have malice in mind. Some people just take pleasure at the misfortune of others. And _that_ I think is a bad thing." Chiaki looked miserable as she talked. "Intentionally making someone suffer is a cruel thing to do if you're doing it for fun."

"You make it sound like there's a justification for intentionally making others suffer."

"Well, you see that kind of thing in games all the time. There are villains with tragic backstories that were shaped by their environments. It's why some villains even switch sides in the first place." Chiaki smiled. "It takes a true hero to be able to separate the misunderstood from the criminally black hearted."

Again, I don't know how she managed to do it, but Chiaki blew me away with her wisdom. "You know, people like you are the reason I used to argue with my mom that I didn't have to go to school and would've preferred to stay home and play videogames all day."

"Education is important though. You can't master the path of play without hard work," Chiaki said, intentionally deepening her voice.

"Did you just try to do a Segata Sanshiro impression?" I asked.

"Oh? You've heard of him? Most westerners haven't."

"When you have a friend like Miaka, you hear of all manner of things."

Chiaki then began to talk like a fangirl. "Segata Sanshiro is a true hero to me! He does nothing except help the games he promotes find a home!"

"Doesn't he also beat up anyone not playing Sega Saturn in order to make them play it?"

"Not every hero is perfect," Chiaki said nonchalantly.

 _She just completely ignored a very critical character flaw!_

"And besides, there's more to Segata than explosions and hurting people. Anyone that's seen his commercials would understand that."

"Ummmm," I said glancing away.

"Well…okay, maybe not anyone," Chiaki admitted.

"You know, I like how you can see the good in almost anyone, Chiaki. I've really grown to respect you. I know you're shorter than me, but I kind of look up to you. You come across like a wise older sister that I never had."

"Again, you're kind for saying so," Chiaki said only to hang her head. I suddenly heard snoring.

"Uh, Chiaki?"

Her head lifted up and she snapped awake. "Sorry, I didn't get my usual nap in today. I'm kind of sleepy."

"Want me to carry you the rest of the way? It's at least another twenty minutes to my house."

"You don't mind?" Chiaki asked.

"Not at all," I said. "Climb on."

I crouched down and then carried Chiaki the rest of the way to my place. She snoozed rather cutely as I carried her, which was pretty difficult. I could barely lift twenty ponds and Chiaki had to weigh at least four times that. In order to be careful not to drop her and with her body weighing me down, it actually took me twice as long to make it the rest of the way home.

Upon arriving at my house, I pushed my arms into Chiaki's legs and tried to rouse her while she was on my back. "We're here," I said.

Chiaki grunted and picked her head up off my shoulder. "Oh. That was fast."

 _It was forty minutes,_ I thought, rolling my eyes to the side.

Chiaki got off my back and stood on her feet. "Do you want me to come in with you? Or perhaps I should wait out here and wait to be invited in by your family."

"You can come in," I told her. "It's no big deal."

"Okay," Chiaki replied.

As I approached the front door I stopped and said, "Oh, how good is your English?"

"Very basic," Chiaki replied. "I might need you to translate. I can read it just fine, but speaking it is another matter."

"All right," I said. "Tug on my sleeve if you need me to translate. Just talk if you feel like talking."

Chiaki tilted her head, looked at me inquisitively for a moment and said, "Okay."

I opened the front door to my house and announced, in English, "I'm home!"

"Welcome home," my mother called from the kitchen. "Who were you talking to outside?"

"Oh? You heard that?" I called as I removed my shoes.

"You're not exactly quiet, sir," she said.

"Right. I brought a classmate home from school. She wanted to play some of the games we own. She's the Ultimate Gamer."

"Oh, a classmate." My mother stepped out of the kitchen to get a good look at Chiaki.

As Chiaki wasn't looking at my face, I mouthed the word bow to my mom in order to convey that we should act like an American-Japanese family to make Chiaki feel more welcome in our house. Getting the picture, my mother clasped her hands over her stomach and smiled at Chiaki. "Welcome to our home," she said politely in Japanese. "I'm Mrs. Lisa Goldrose, Alex's mother." She bowed properly to Chiaki. "It's nice to meet you."

Chiaki bowed properly low to my mother. "Nice to meet you too," Chiaki said, managing the sentence in English. "My name is Chiaki Nanami." She stood up. "I speak English okay, but I'm afraid I'm not very practiced. Alex volunteered to translate if I don't understand something."

"Well you're very articulated," my mother said to Chiaki in English. "You don't even have that thick of an accent."

"That's very kind of you to say," Chiaki said with a smile.

My mother looked at me. "Is she staying for dinner?"

"Can she?" I asked.

"I don't suppose why not. It's burger night and you know how we always make too much." My mother looked at Chiaki, minding her Japanese. "Are Hamburgers all right with you Nanami-chan?" The chan was probably because my mom thought Chiaki was cute in a very motherly way. I was surprised to hear her call Chiaki by surname though. I guess she was trying to be polite.

"Hamburgers are fine. I'm not a very picky eater."

"Says the girl that hardly ate at lunch."

Chiaki puffed out her cheeks and complained to me, "I'm not fussy. I just don't eat very much," she said.

"Well, I hope we don't send you back looking all skin and bones. I'd hate to think your parents don't feed you."

"My…parents…" Chiaki said, pulling her hood up.

I drew my hand across my neck, indicating that my mother should abort the subject.

"Ah…w-well…at least you'll look healthy at school tomorrow," My mom said to Chiaki.

Chiaki smiled, but it looked pretty forced. I reiterated to my mom that Chiaki and I were going upstairs and she nodded her head and went back to cooking. As we walked through the hall, Chiaki said in Japanese, "Your mom's very nice."

"Where do you think I got it?" I asked. Chiaki laughed.

"Is that a girl's voice I hear?"

 _Oh, fantastic,_ I thought, rolling my eyes. If there was one thing I didn't need right now it was my brother teasing me for bringing a girl home.

Sam poked his head out of his room. "She's pretty. New girlfriend?"

I sighed in annoyance. "No," I said in English. "Could you _not_ embarrass me in front of our guest? I don't ask for much from you."

"Sam! Behave yourself!" my mother shouted from downstairs.

My brother sighed, walked out of his room and bowed to Chiaki. "It's nice to meet you," he said. "I'm Samuel Goldrose, but everyone calls me Sam for short."

"It's nice to meet you Sam-san," Chiaki said, "My name is Chiaki Nanami. I'm the Ultimate Gamer at Hope's Peak Academy."

"Gamer? A girl is the Ultimate Gamer?"

"Don't be _rude,_ you jackass," I said irritably.

However, it seemed Chiaki was going to do my work for me. Puffing her cheeks, she spoke in Japanese, "A girl can be just as good at games as a boy can!"

Sam blinked. "What did she say?" his grasp of Japanese wasn't like mine. I had very little freedom of choice for school systems and the better education was where you were bi-lingual in Japanese and English. Sam on the other hand, especially given his grade level, was still learning both languages.

"She said a girl can be just as good as a guy at gaming."

"Oh? Does she play Smash?" Sam asked.

"Smash?" Chiaki asked, recognizing the word.

"Super Smash Brothers," I said.

Chiaki got pent up, cheeks flushed, panting heavily. "Do you have all the characters and stages unlocked? Did you build any custom stages? Do you have all the DLC?"

"What did she…?"

I ignored Sam and spoke to Chiaki in English. "We have everything," I said, conveying her sentence to Sam and answering her question in a single response.

"I'm game," Chiaki said. "Big Battlefield. 8 characters. 3 of us. 5 cpus. No teams. Smash Ball only."

I looked at Sam, but he heard every word. We turned on the Wii U and sat down for a round. I picked Mewtwo. Sam picked Wario. Chiaki picked Kirby. The computers were randomly selected winding up being Samus, Donkey Kong, Jigglypuff, Bowser, and Corrin. We set the stock to 5 lives and had probably the most fun I'd had in ages. Sam always kicks my ass because he's a cheap ass with Wario and it's always the two of us against each other. However, with Chiaki in the mix, things became very different, very quickly. I didn't outright die and the added CPUs made for an interesting experience. Chiaki also made an amazing comeback from behind after losing 2 lives. I shouldn't have to say this, but she won.

"This game's winner is…Kirby!" went the TV.

"Still not convinced?" I asked Sam, regarding Chiaki's status.

"Nope."

I put down my controller and sat on his bed. "Chiaki-san," I said, deliberately using an honorific, "Please show my insensitive brother your talent."

Chiaki then entered a trance, setting the stock to 3 lives, removing the CPUs and setting the stage to final destination, no items. Again, she picked Kirby. Sam picked Wario. He lost via shutout with Chiaki having well over 100% damage on her.

"Again," Sam said.

Chiaki kept Kirby. Sam picked Sonic this time. He also put the Smash Balls back on. Even _with_ Super Sonic, Chiaki still won.

"Stop using Kirby!" Sam exclaimed.

I hissed. "Oooooh, Sam, how's the shoe feel to be on the other foot?"

"Bite me!" he snapped at me.

Chiaki didn't complain though and picked Pikachu instead. Again. She still won. Hearing Sam's frustrated incoherent rage was music to my ears. "Different stage!" he demanded. They played on a random stage. Chiaki still beat him.

"Damn," I said, now finding this to be less competition and more a one-sided massacre. Sam was so desperate to win that he demanded Chiaki pick her worst character.

"My worst character?" Chiaki asked as though she needed to think about it.

 _She's good with all of them,_ I thought, realizing her confusion for what it was. Chiaki's cursor hovered for a little bit, but she eventually settled upon King Dedede. This time Sam picked a stage of his choosing: Castle Siege, his best stage. I simply folded my arms and leaned against the wall to watch the match unfold. Sam did marginally better. It was the only time he managed to knock Chiaki out at all, but that was after accumulated 120% of damage and lost a life and she finished him off and brought him down to one life before her respawn invincibility ran out. I didn't even have to watch to know how this would end.

I thought Sam was going to smash the controller and tell Chiaki off, but he simply sighed. "I can't beat her, Alex. She's good."

"Told you."

"My talent isn't just for show," Chiaki said in a very one-liner fashion. "This is your fate for challenging me." She even struck a cheesy battle pose. It was kind of cute.

"So if you won't be Alex's girlfriend, will you be mine?"

"Okay!" I exclaimed before Chiaki even had a moment to think about something like that. "Let's go into my room. I invited you here so you could beat the games of my youth not sit around and play Smash…though this was fun."

"Ah, right," Chiaki said and followed me out of the room.

I grumbled when I opened the door to my room. "Don't…let what he said bother you at all. He…"

"He's a kid. I know. I didn't take it seriously," Chiaki said calmly.

 _Ouch,_ I thought.

"So, which game first?"

We started with Pokémon Stadium. We did not get very far. My mom called dinner first. And by this point my dad was home. I was reminded again of how tall he was as he towered over Chiaki and still had a few inches on me. His short brown hair and business suit always made him look like a professional. He always looked like he could audition for the role of James Bond. In spite of this though, my dad was a practical jokester and fun to be around. While he wasn't always around in my childhood due to working in New York a lot, I still bonded with him when I could. Even now, I still really respect him.

"Oh, your mother told me we had a guest," my dad said as Chiaki and I came down the stairs.

Chiaki bowed respectfully, even lower than she had to my mother. "I'm Chiaki Nanami," she introduced. "It's very nice to meet you," she said.

My dad bowed at an appropriate depth. "Seth Goldorse, Alex's father."

"I didn't even hear you come in," I said.

"You rarely do," my dad replied. He hadn't even removed his suit jacket yet.

"Well, don't get completely undressed for dinner. We have a guest."

"Next time call ahead. You have a cell phone, sir," my dad told me.

"Ah, right, I do have one of those, don't I?" I joked. I wasn't used to having one yet. I only recently got it.

Dinner was…well it was far less embarrassing than I expected. My mom grilled Chiaki with questions about herself as she was wanton to do. Mostly stuff about where Chiaki grew up and how she got known as the Ultimate Gamer. Chiaki's knowledge of the medium confused my family greatly—none of them played videogames as avidly as I did—but she seemed to enjoy explaining her history to my folks. ADHD and all that, I didn't commit much of what she was saying to memory, only that she's won several game tournaments and her crowning achievement was beating Ninja Gaiden when her father let her play it as a kid on her first try.

Talk about Chiaki's parents tended to be met with silence so my mom and dad quickly realized to avoid the subject. It didn't seem like Chiaki had bad parents with the way she talked about her childhood, but for whatever reason she didn't seem like talking about them or the types of people they were. It was weird, but I felt it was best not to pry.

After dinner, Chiaki and I went back to my room. I _really_ wanted to see her skills at the games I could never beat. At the very least I was hoping she could unlock R-2 for me on Pokémon Stadium.

"I got to it once, but then my brother deleted my save data. What a nightmare during the summer that was," I said.

"On purpose?"

"No. He was barely in kindergarten at the time. I can't even get past Master Ball battle 4 on Stadium 2. I just want to relive the past, you know?"

"I think I understand," Chiaki said. "I'm glad I brought my cartridge with me. I'll beat the Master Ball tournament for you, but you'll try to get the rest of the way to beating all of R-2 yourself, right?"

"Yeah! Of course! I was having fun with that!"

Chiaki laughed. "Well, let's give this a shot."

Chiaki's team was set up rather ingeniously. She had a level 53 Electrode with Thunder wave, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt and Explosion. She had a level 52 Cloyster with Surf, Ice Beam, Explosion and Tri-Attack. She had a level 50 Rhydon with Earthquake, Rock Slide, Body Slam, and Dig. She had a level 51 Rapidash with Horn Drill, Fire Blast, Toxic and Double Team. She had a level 51 Alakazam with Psychic, Recover, Seismic Toss, and Thunder Wave. And lastly she had a level 54 Gengar with Confuse Ray, Night Shade, Mega Drain, and Psychic.

"Status moves, huh?" I said, referring to Thunder Wave and Confuse Ray. "I've always thought the AI to rewire itself to make those moves less effective against itself."

"Persistence is a virtue," Chiaki said. "Besides, that's why my team is built the way it is. You'll see."

With just Alakazam, Chiaki mutilated the Biker, but I never had a problem with him. With Rhydon at her beck and call, Zapdos went down easy and Electrode barely fazed it. Venusaur came out as the last Pokémon and Rapidash swiftly burnt it to a crisp.

 _Huh, I always struggle with the Rocker. Not bad, Chiaki. Stupid paralysis._

Chiaki had very few problems with the Juggler either. Alakazam made short work of most of the enemy team between seismic toss and psychic. And Recover helped it stay in the game. It was her second perfect of the round. There was a repeat performance of the Rocker against the Beauty. However, this time with Electrode at the helm and Cloyster backing it up. She switched to Cloyster when Rhydon came out, predicting the use of Dig, giving Cloyster a turn to take out Rhydon. It went down against Starmie, but Electrode came back out and quickly finished that fight.

Against the Medium, I was surprised to see Chiaki lead with Electrode and to see the Medium lead with Cloyster. It went down before it knew what hit it. Gengar gave Electrode trouble, but Alakazam took it out. Ninetails brought up the Medium's rear, which let it fall upon Rhydon to finish that fight. Confuse Ray was a pain to deal with, but Chiaki managed, whereas I always lost my temper.

Rhydon was imperative against the Tamer. Dig alone proved its saving grace in taking out the enemy team. It got hit once by each Pokémon so that Chiaki had the timing down, but it didn't faint, giving  
Chiaki a continue.

"I'm curious," Chiaki said as she fought the Psychic. "How did you win the first time that you can't do it again?"

"I got really freaking lucky," I said. "I froze Moltres with an ice beam and managed to KO Taurus with a Thunder. Dragonite was the hardest to deal with, but I managed. I think I used psychic on it until it fainted. The game guide lied saying the Old Man would always lead with Dragonite or Lapras. He always used Taurus first. It was annoying as hell."

"It tends to be," Chiaki said. "That's why I always go with intuition and efficiency."

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"You'll see," Chiaki said.

She got by the psychic by the skin of her teeth. She used Gengar, Alakazam and Rhydon, but she managed to pull it off, but only with a continue. I was surprised by this, but Chiaki relied upon confusion and Thunder Wave to win her the day combined with Night Shade and Psychic. Rhydon was literally the only thing she could use. She was banking everything on her first two Pokémon. She won the second time.

Then came the Old Man. Before this match, I didn't know what Chiaki picked before starting. This time, I had to know. "What did you pick?" I asked.

"Rhydon, Cloyster, and Electrode."

"Rhydon first?" I asked.

"You'll see," Chiaki said.

As expected, Taurus led the charge.

"It only knows Fire Blast and Thunder aside from Normal-type moves," Chiaki said.

"What would you have done if Taurus hadn't come out?" I asked.

"Well if it had been anything other than Lapras, Cloyster or Dragonite, I would've had a type advantage. Rock Slide could take out Articuno sure, but I don't want to risk a Blizzard attack. I would've switched to Cloyster since it can take a hit. If Cloyster fainted against Lapras or Dragonite, I could switch to Electrode and take it out easily. That leaves me with my fastest Pokémon out and an advantage against the enemy's entire potential team. If Taurus was chosen next, then Rhydon could pick up in Electrode's place. So unless Articuno was selected, I would have complete control of the fight. If it was, well…I hope I can survive Blizzard or it misses."

And this now explained Chiaki's team set up completely. Electrode and Cloyster were higher leveled to merge with Rhydon during this final fight. The other three were used to get her here.

"If you know the enemy, you can center your team around it. That's how it's done," Chiaki said.

And it was so. Taurus met light's out from Rhydon and Dragonite was brought in. Chiaki switched to Cloyster immediately as per her strategy and a single Ice Beam removed Dragonite from her path thanks to the double typing advantage. Jolteon was the final Pokémon and Chiaki took it out cleanly after Cloyster fainted by switching back to Rhydon.

"You're welcome," Chiaki said calmly.

I nearly tackled her to the floor in excitement. "Chiaki! You're awesome!" I exclaimed and then quickly backed off, realizing my error.

"Er, sorry," I said.

"No, it's okay." Chiaki smiled. "You were just excited. I get it. It happens to me too on occasion." She then smiled and laughed. "So, Donkey Kong 64 next?"

* * *

Chiaki and I spent the next several hours playing games, or rather me watching her play. She helped me get to the battle against King K. Rool in DK64, which I managed to complete on my first try. I was worried it would be mega difficult, but I had the strategy guide so I knew what I was doing.

Turok was a brand-new experience for Chiaki and watching her play reminded me of my youth when I would watch my dad play it. It got close to midnight and Chiaki was in the middle of level 3 at that point. She wasn't using cheats and she hadn't died once. I yawned.

"Chiaki, we should get some sleep. Find a save point and turn it off." I was not having her walk all the way home at his hour. My parents said it was okay given Hope's Peak was a boarding school to start with.

"Ah, is it okay if I stay up a little longer?" Chiaki asked. "I'm actually having a lot of fun."

"Promise me you'll get some sleep," I said.

"I promise," Chiaki said. Smiling, I grabbed a pair of pajamas, went out into the hallway to change clothes in the bathroom, brushed my teeth, removed my contact lenses, and then returned to my room. I then realized something that, air headed me, I overlooked.

"Ah! Chiaki! Do you have anything to change into? Want me to get you a sleeping bag? You probably need a pillow too."

"I'll be fine," Chiaki said to me. "Don't worry about me."

"You're sure. I could have my dad drive us over to Hope's Peak right now and…"

"I'll be fine," Chiaki said, smiling now.

"Well okay, if you're sure," I said. I then jumped into bed, grabbed my Ipod and said, "There are paper cups under the sink in my bathroom if you need a drink of water in the middle of the night."

"Mmmmhmm," Chiaki said.

 _She's not listening,_ I thought. I plugged my headphones in, turned on some relaxing music and went to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off. 7am. Hope's Peak's first bell was at 9. I had an hour and fifteen minutes to get ready so I could arrive at Hope's Peak for the first bell with plenty of time. I yawned and then said, "Morning, Chiaki. Let's…" I looked at my floor. Chiaki was nowhere to be found, but instead a bat-eared caterpillar shaped, human sized lump lay on the ground. _Son of a gun, the hoodie doubles as a sleeping bag…or at least she had one on hand._

"Chiaki," I said, rubbing her shoulder to shake her awake. "Time to get up."

"Five more minutes," Chiaki mumbled and turned over.

 _In five minutes we'll be out of time,_ I thought, rolling my eyes up towards the ceiling. _If I have to carry Chiaki to school, I'm going to have to leave much earlier. That, or miss the first bell. Oh well, I'll apologize to Mikan. Not like attendance is mandatory._

Leaving my room, I took a shower, got dressed, put my contacts back in, and then headed back to my room. Twenty minutes had passed. Chiaki was still asleep.

"Chiaki, wake up," I sighed.

"Sleepy," she said and snored.

I sighed deeply. I went downstairs to grab a cereal bar and made myself an egg. It would have to do. I also pocketed one in case Chiaki got hungry. By the time I returned to my room after going back up the stairs and brushing my teeth, Chiaki was out of her sleeping bag, but still collapsed on the floor, eyes shut.

 _Are you serious?_ I thought. Sighing, I picked Chiaki up off the floor and positioned her behind me so she could get up on my back. She snoozed the entire walk from my house to school. At least I was getting some exercise. I would have to do my ab crunches like Nekomaru suggested later.

After arriving on campus, I brought Chiaki to the nurse's office so she could sleep. I didn't know where her dorm room was and I was not about to carry her there when the nurse's office was closer. Besides, I wanted to explain to Mikan why I missed the first bell.

"O-oh, A-Alex! Y-you're here!" she exclaimed. "Y-you missed the first bell," she looked at me worried, "S-so I thought..."

"Nope. I'm fine and I still care," I said as I leaned Chiaki into a bed got her to lay onto it and then pulled the covers over her. "Chiaki fell asleep at my house last night. Long story short, I wanted to see her talent in action regarding some of my childhood videogames. She stayed up too late and just refused to cooperate this morning." I looked away from Chiaki and then smiled at Mikan. "I for one was not going to miss the opportunity to see you every morning. Sorry I missed the first bell."

"Ah! Th-that's okay…I…"

"Hmm?"

Mikan stared at me like she wanted to say something. The entire time I looked back at her, I got lost in her body in the silence. She really was attractive, far more physically attractive to me than Chiaki. Maybe it was the long hair or the chest size...not that Chiaki's was that much smaller than Mikan's to start with. I really didn't know what it was. Either way, I mentally slapped myself for checking Mikan out when she was looking at me the way she was.

However, Mikan turned sharply away from me and said, "Ah! I-I need to count inventory! W-we can still chat in the afternoon like the last two days. Er…I mean…you don't have to but…"

"I will," I said. "I'll see you later, okay? Be a good nurse and make sure Chiaki gets some rest."

"Y-yes! O-of course!" Mikan exclaimed.

I left the office and walked away. As I wandered through the halls, my legs acting on autopilot and taking me nowhere in particular, I became lost in thought. I was really happy Chiaki had gotten me back to where I was in Pokémon Stadium. Now I just had to get back to where I was, which was the exact same position I was in with R-1: beating the freaking Master Ball cup in Poké Cup. Seriously, were the designers of the Pokémon company sadists? Did they get off on limiting player choice, or were they seriously trying to push the competitive field to ward off hackers? Cause it kind of pissed me the hell off.

I stopped thinking about Pokémon and started thinking about today though. I figured it might be good if I practiced my craft on campus at some point, maybe draft a fanfic idea or two and blog it. However, as I thought about what to do—somehow finding myself on the third floor—I started thinking about Mikan. With the way things were going, maybe I'd push our "meeting" to this morning. She seemed less skittish around me now, but with Chiaki fast asleep that might be rude.

"Maybe after lunch," I thought aloud, index finger curled around my chin.

I stopped walking to ponder this and while I was weighing the pros and cons I heard a familiar voice call out to me in English, "Oh, Alex!"

I turned. When I saw the spitting image of Cherche from Fire Emblem Awakening headed towards me, I knew who called out to me. "Oh, Miaka! Good timing. I was looking for you."

"Oh, is that so?" Miaka asked with a smile on her face, but the way she said it indicated she was mad in the "don't cross me unless you want to be missing your kidneys" type of mad certain fictional characters, like Cherche, could get. "Can we talk a moment?"

"Er, what's up?" I asked.

"Oh nothing," she said sarcastically, "It's just I heard you and Chiaki came to school together…" She then gave me the biggest case of stink eye I'd ever received from her.

I sighed, hanging my head and explained. I had to make it clear it wasn't what Miaka thought. "I invited her to hang out. I had some videogames I never could beat as a kid. Wanted to see if she could beat them, see if she lives up to her title. She stayed up past the point I was ready to go to sleep and fell asleep on my floor. She had a sleeping bag on her and everything. My parents okayed it. It got way too late to send her home after dinner. And I couldn't just come to school without her. You know my code of chivalry. I felt obligated to make sure she got to school on time. My parents would've had my head if I left her at home." I then let out a bigger sigh as I groaned, realizing that my excuse and explanation was clearly not going to avail me much without hearing what rumors were spreading. "What are people saying?"

"What do you think they're saying?" Miaka exasperated. "Surely you're not so ignorant as to not know what that implies? You've seen enough anime."

"Yeah, well, unlike all those anime, I can easily dispel those rumors with word," I said, sounding pompous and self-righteous. In anime, no one ever spoke up and explained _shit_. But I was an American. I could dispel any misunderstandings outright, like Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke. "Besides, she's the one that fell asleep on _my_ floor."

"That's not the point! And it isn't that easy...not here..." That sort of tone carried a deeper meaning to it; like she was speaking from experience. "Did Mikan see you?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"Well...I did bring Chiaki to the nurse's office so she could rest. Now that I think about it, Mikan did seem like she wanted to say something, but then she started counting inventory and I didn't want to bother her. Once Chiaki wakes up she can help back me up. Seriously, when does she sleep on a regular schedule?" I sighed again. "Honestly, I try to be a nice guy and look where it gets me."

I was surprised when Miaka smacked herself in the face. "What?" I snapped, annoyed. "You're acting like Mikan is some sort of crazed Yandere that'll kill Chiaki in her sleep for even daring to be within ten feet of me. I already told Mikan what happened, the whole truth."

Now it was Miaka's turn to sound surprised. "I...never said that." She turned her head and mumbled so lowly I could barely hear her. "Actually it's concerning enough that you would think of it as a possibility." She shook her head back and forth quickly. "Never mind. Look, it's the principle of the thing." She pointed an accusatory finger at me. "You need to be more careful with how you act around other girls if you're trying to woo one."

 _Woo one?_ I thought blinking. "Um…pardon?" Seriously, what was Miaka implying?

Miaka gave me a blank stare. "You think she's cute right…" she then mused in a much quieter voice. "Although, I guess that's putting it mildly."

"Well...yeah," I admitted. "Actually...more than that." I started rubbing the back of my neck as I looked to the left. "I just...I want to be there for her, you know. She's so sweet, but she seems so fragile." I dropped my arm to my side, balling a fist. It's like…I'm the only one that seems to give anything close to a damn about her. Everyone else just kind of ignores her," I grew angry as I said, "Or in the case of Hiyoko, outright bullies her." I got less angry and started talking faster. "And she has these weird thoughts about what constitutes normal human interaction. I swear, if I had a 10-yen coin for every time she said "I'm sorry" I'd be rich enough to buy a discount videogame. If she ever asks me for a pony, I'm not going to be able to say no."

Miaka just stared at me, remained quiet for an extended period of time and just said: "It's in your best interests to be a little more mindful of getting too close to other girls."

"I'm pretty close with you, aren't I?" I asked, not seeing what the big deal was.

"Look, just…don't ask questions!" Miaka exclaimed. "Just dial back the physical interaction a _little_ ," she stressed. She pointed her finger back at me. "No more carrying girls to school! Call a damn cab or something! Hell! Call me if you have to!"

"Got it," I said without making a fuss. If calling Miaka was now an option, that was fine by me. Miaka could be a night stalker given the time I'd spent talking to her when it was the wee hours of the morning here in the Land of the Rising Sun. I was also now catching onto what people probably thought about me bringing Chiaki to school. "What? Does everyone think we had wicked sex all night long and she's tired from it all?"

"Yes," Miaka answered flatly.

I was stunned silent a moment only to look weirded out and just said, "People in Japan are _weeeeeeeeeeeird_."

"Did you ever think that just because it doesn't bother you, that doesn't mean it doesn't bother her?" Miaka asked me.

I blinked a few times and just said, "Chiaki didn't seem to mind."

"She _might_ if rumors start to spread," Miaka warned me.

I slapped my eyes with my palm. I then began speaking melodramatically. "And thus begins the eternal cycle of nobody being able to say what's on their mind and everybody making fucking assumptions so that real life turns into TNK's School Days."

"Exactly. See the problem now?" Miaka asked. "You don't want to go down that route. Stay away from the boat route. Just avoid misunderstandings like this in the first place."

"What do you want me to do, get up on top of the table and explain the situation to everyone flat out right now? Would that stop the rumors?" I asked.

"Honestly right now it might be better to just let nature run its course. Just apologize to Chiaki for causing trouble next time you see her. Do you remember how to bow?"

"Um, yeah," I said. I'd _been_ bowing.

"Do that. Tone down the inviting her back to your place. Keep it in school. Remember. Boat route."

"I got it. I _got_ it," I responded.

"Do you? Do you, really?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"Good! Then I never want to have to revisit this topic ever again," Miaka said with a bright smile. "You can't use 'I'm an American' as an excuse. It's going to get you in trouble."

"I _got_ it!" I repeated. "Jeez." I checked the time. "Ah, I better go see if Kazuichi needs help with that rocket."

"Why would the Ultimate Mechanic need help?" Miaka asked me.

"Well, I can save him a few quick seconds. Or if he drops something I can pick it up for him. It builds trust and the more of my classmates that trust me, the more they'll give me the time of day. I have to have an audience for my stories, you know."

"What about the fanfiction?" Miaka asked me.

"Eh, I can work on that when I'm home."

"And when you don't have girls from school over," she teased.

I sighed. "Are you going to hang that over my head?"

"Don't I always?"

I sighed.

She laughed. "Look, it'll blow over. Remember. Boat route."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Look, I'll catch you later, all right?"

"Yup, later."

Miaka and I parted ways and I headed outside to check on Kazuichi. The first thing I did was dispel the rumors he heard circulating about what happened.

"Wait, you mean nothing happened?" Kazuichi asked.

"Why would it?" I asked. "I'm the Ultimate Storyteller, not the Ultimate Chick Magnet."

"Could've fooled me," Kazuichi responded as he continued to work. "Hey, hand me that big wrench, will ya?"

"Which big one?"

"The _really_ big one," Kazuichi told me. I handed him the biggest wrench in his tool kit.

"Seriously man, how did you pull that off?"

"Pull what off?"

"Getting a chick to your house. That's not easy you know," Kazuichi told me.

I shrugged. "I guess a gamer like her was simply lured by the prospect of videogames. The interaction was purely platonic." I sighed. "But, rumors gonna rumor, I suppose. I guess if you knew something Sonia liked and wanted to share a mutual hobby with her, it might work out the same."

"Right...something we both like..." Kazuichi mused to himself.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Kazuichi stopped working and looked at me. "Well it's just...Miss Sonia won't even like...talk to me, like at all. I've tried saying hi, but she either completely ignores me or..."

"Or?"

Kazuichi shed tears of frustration. "Or she completely starts chatting up with that animal enthusiast, Tanaka." Kazuichi pointed at me in indignation. "Like, what's he have that I don't have?"

I put a reassuring hand on Kazuichi's shoulder, sighing with a smile. "Something a lot of girls want to see in a guy, Kazuichi, sensitivity towards cute, fuzzy animals."

Kazuichi sighed, looking defeated. "I barely took care of the class pet back in elementary school. My mom's allergic to animal fur. I don't know the first thing about pets."

"Hey, maybe Sonia's not "the one"," I told him.

"I-I'm not gonna let that deter me! I-I won't let him beat me! Tanaka…" It seemed Kazuichi wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. A few moments later he calmed down, resumed working and eventually asked me, "So, um, question."

"Hmm?"

"What's going on with you and that girl from 77-A? I've seen you two talking a lot and you refer to each other by first name. You uh," he chuckled. "You make a lot of headway with her or what?"

I was slightly confused by the question. "Who? Me and Miaka?" I asked pointing to myself. I made sure to even sound confused. "We're just friends." I rubbed the back of my and looked up and to the right. "Most of our conversations end up with me the butt of her jokes. I didn't even know she was attending Hope's Peak. Shows you how good our mutual communication is. I hadn't even met her in person until the first day of school. She was my pen pal up until then."

"Huh? Really?" Kazuichi sounded surprised. "You guys really seemed close to me. I kinda figured you'd have done it a time or two..."

I don't know if it was nerves or just the sheer absurdity of the statement, but I burst out laughing. "Dude, I have not seen a shred of nudity except in porn. I haven't even kissed a girl." I sighed as I calmed down. "Good…good joke." I slapped Kazuichi's shoulder a few times. "I needed that."

This only surprised Kazuichi further. "You serious? You seem to ooze confidence out of every pore."

"That's cause I'm starting with a blank slate here in Japan," I told him. "No one here knows what I was like back in America. I'm free to make a new reputation for myself from scratch."

"New reputation, huh?" I heard Kazuichi mutter only to say with confidence, "Er, I mean…haven't you considered it? I mean, yeah she's not exactly stacked, but she's got that Ultimate Cosplayer charm to her. Rocks those outfits too. I saw the one she was wearing today. It doesn't even cover her back."

"Meh," I grunted.

"Jeez, dude. You make it sound like T&A are all you care about in a girl," Kazuichi remarked, sounding a little disappointed in me.

I did my best to discourage that line of thinking. "I can't help what I'm attracted to any more than you can. A killer bod and an enticing personality are the most important things I look for in a girl. And flat chests don't do it for me. You want her, go after her. Be a lot easier than you trying to get into Sonia's pants."

"Hey!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"Just saying," I said, holding my hands up, fingers outspread.

Kazuichi looked disappointed. "So...even you don't think I have a shot, like at all, you mean?"

"Dude, some crushes are just bound to fail. Take it from me. I got rejected from the top 10 most beautiful girls in my hometown one right after the other. I like my girls stacked, unless there was a deep emotional connection that gravitated me towards someone of a lower cup size."

Kazuichi sighed. "Ah…guess it was more one-sided than I thought then…oh well. Although, speaking of which, you've been hanging around the nurse's office for the past couple of days I hear. I take it Tsumiki falls under "deep emotional connection"."

I started to get embarrassed. "Uhhh…well…"

Kazuichi whistled. "Man, good luck with that one."

Now it was my turn to get indignant. "What's that supposed to mean?"

My irritation seemed to have rattled Kazuichi. "Nothing, just...well...I mean, she's cute and all, but, like, I can barely afford to take care of myself. I couldn't hope to reconstruct a machine _that_ broken if you get what I'm saying."

"Really?" I asked, scratching my right temple and closing my right eye. "All it does it is turn me on." I dropped my arm to the side and smiled. "It makes me feel obligated to help."

"Hey, to each their own. Isn't that how it's said?" Kazuichi asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the vending machine. It's getting a bit steamy out here. Want me to grab you something."

"Ah, sure. Just some water if you don't mind, in case it all doesn't stay in the can. I don't need carbonation on metal."

"Kay," I said and headed for the closest vending machine.

As I walked over there, all I could think about was Mikan and combined it with what Kazuichi said. _Do all boys in this country think like that? Is Mikan…really that broken? Do people just not want to get involved with her because she's so troubled?_ I remembered Mikan's tears and her sad face. Her emotional scars definitely did run pretty deep. When she eventually shared the reason behind them with me, would I be able to help her heal the wounds of her past? But then I remembered her smile and how much I liked seeing it. No, just by being around her, I was already alleviating some of the pain. Mikan needed me to be around her. No…did she? I had been wrong about a girl's feelings oh so many times. Every time I was met with rejection, it was like meeting an old friend at a pub to have a few drinks with, just replace drinks with videogames to get the correct picture.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I should probably not say anything to Mikan directly for a little while longer. I'd keep talking to her, but until I could be sure that she had an interest in me, it was probably best I stayed quiet.

 **End of Chapter 6**

* * *

 **(A/N: Boy, that just turned into your typical anime romance subplot, didn't it? Alex not wanting to tell Mikan how he feels because reasons. Interestingly enough, I'm the same way around the girls I like and then I usually find out she has a boyfriend, or she's way older than she looks, or she's way younger than she looks, or she's moving to another state, or I'm just visiting relatives here. I'm from Europe. (rolls eyes). Anyway, all of the Pokémon Stadium stuff is 100% true. That shit actually happened to me regarding freezing the Old Man's Moltres and my brother deleting my save file. And I did actually get rejected in real life by all the top hottest girls in my hometown. Anyway, next chapter it's back to Miaka's perspective and, as always from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)**


	7. Photoshoot, Miaka-hen

**(A/N: I don't know who's been looking forward to this chapter more, Setsubou or me).**

 **(CA/N: Me.)**

* * *

 **Third Day of Hope's Peak Academy**

You know, there's stupidity and then there's plain insensitivity. And even though he's my friend, Alex is continuing to annoy me without trying to. There's a reason romance in anime does not include house visits: it is not culturally _sound_. What made him think it was a good idea to invite a girl to his house. I don't know what I'm more flabbergasted by, the fact that he invited her _or the fact that she said yes!_

Okay, getting angry about it wasn't going to solve anything. I made it very clear to him _why_ what he did was inappropriate. Hopefully he's learned his lesson. Otherwise, next time, I may actually physically hurt him. Right then, I've wasted enough time on _him_ this morning. What should I do now?

* * *

 **FREE TIME**

* * *

I couldn't help but be at least a bit intrigued by the girl I met yesterday at breakfast. Being the Ultimate Musician, I figured she'd be in the music room. When I entered, I was completely overpowered by the sound of screaming and guitar playing. It was an unholy tragedy, like I'd walked into the gates of hell itself.

 _Th-this is music, right?_

The player of both the guitar and screaming was none other than Ibuki, but I couldn't be sure. She said she was the ultimate musician, so what was up with this haunting song.

With one final scream, Ibuki finished playing. "Oh, I have an audience."

"My ears…" I groaned, feeling dizzy.

"Aha! Lookie! Lookie! It's Miaka-chan! Miaka-chan, did you come to see Ibuki perform?"

"Is that what you were doing?" I asked, still out of it. "Wait, how do you know it's me?"

Ibuki folded her arms and grinned, sounding amazingly confident. "Ibuki never forgets a voice." She smiled brightly. "So no matter how much your appearance changes, Ibuki will always know it's Miaka-chan."

 _That's some amazing hearing,_ I thought.

"So, what did you think, Miaka-chan? That was Ibuki's self-written song. It's called From Me to You Too."

"Well, I'm sure fans of the genre will love it."

"Huh? You say that like you didn't like it," Ibuki said, managing to look confused and upset at the same time.

"Um, well…I'm sure it would make for great boss battle music," I said, trying to think of any way to compliment the utter assault of my ears just now.

"Boss battle…oh you mean like in videogames?" Ibuki asked looking excited. "But…" Ibuki looked confused. "This is supposed to be a love song."

 _Not with that tempo!_ I thought.

Ibuki sighed, scratched her head and looked down to the side. "Ibuki should've known a solo career was a tough gig. It's just not the same without a band."

"You used to play in a band?" I asked.

"Yup, Ibuki was the lead guitarist and singer in Black Cherry!" Ibuki exclaimed, winking and sticking her tongue out.

"I see…Black Cherry," I said nodding my head. My eyes then bugged out. "Wait! You're _that_ Ibuki Mioda?"

Ibuki laughed happily. "Ibuki's the only Ibuki she knows."

I should've expected it, but this was something else. Ibuki was practically a living legend in Japan. Black Cherry was at the very top of the charts before the band broke up. It was the only time idol singer group, Pink Energy, lead singer Sayaka Maizono, was ever beaten by anything. Fans of the group thought Black Cherry would dominate the charts until Pink Energy faded into obscurity, but the band broke up at the height of their popularity. And the reason for that breakup: the person standing in front of me.

I get it, creative differences can drive a band to tear itself in half. Alex has shared some stories with some of his favorite American bands, but at the height of popularity? Still…that was the furthest thing from my mind right now.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed without thinking. "I-I'm not worthy!" I shouted, bowing low. Forget my fan base, Ibuki's had to be like several hundred _times_ that.

"Huh? What are you saying Miaka-chan, worthy of what?" she laughed. "You're bowing pretty low to Ibuki when she's not royalty or important."

"Not important my ass! You have a huge, screaming fan base that still supports you even though you broke up the band!" I exclaimed.

"Aww, c'mon, you're gonna embarrass Ibuki," she said, pushing her index fingers against each other. "She doesn't like being put on a pedestal."

"Neither do I, but that doesn't change reality," I said.

Ibuki laughed. "Are Miaka-chan's fans as supportive as Ibuki's?"

"Supportive is…one way of putting it," I said. "So, I want to hear it straight from you, did you not like working with Black Cherry? Why'd you break up the band? You were great."

"What?" Ibuki looked disappointed. "Miaka-chan's performed with other people, right? She should know the answer to that."

 _Do I? Hmmm, lemme think about this for a second._ "…Is it because you and your band members didn't get along off stage?"

"Well…yeah," Ibuki said super seriously, which was kind of unnerving. "You can't hear it without super sharp ears like Ibuki's, but we were always trying to outperform each other. It was our greatest strength, but also our greatest weakness." She then laughed. "Of course, nobody could compare to Ibuki on guitar."

"Of course," I said, smiling a bit.

"That's why Ibuki wants to start a new band here at Hope's Peak, you know. Being the Ultimate Musician is one thing, but Ibuki's dream is to start a band she really connects with. I mean," Ibuki scratched her head, "Even though I don't regret leaving the band, to tell you the truth, Ibuki's kind of lonely." Ibuki looked at me with almost pleading eyes. "Miaka-chan understands, right, right?"

"Of course I understand," I said, without really thinking about the words coming out of my mouth.

Ibuki's mood changed on a dime. "Yahooooo!" Ibuki exclaimed, looking happy as a cat. "Then from here on out, the two of us are part of a sisterhood. Ah, but we should decide what instrument you're best at first." Ibuki's mood got really intense, she even held her pointer finger straight towards the sky. "But Ibuki's the guitarist, so you can't!"

"C-can't I just be a backup singer?" I asked. It sounded like she wanted me to be part of her new band. I wasn't sure I was cut out for that.

"What?" Ibuki asked. "And hide a cute face like that? You should be upfront on the piano right next to Ibuki." Ibuki's face lit up. "In fact, I bet you have pretty nimble fingers."

 _Well…she's not wrong._ "I'll think about it," I said. "I'll have an answer for you next time."

"Awww, are you leaving? Ibuki was gonna give you a private concert." She looked so disappointed.

"I can't be here all day," I said. "But I promise to listen to you play more next time."

"Sure, it's a date!" Ibuki exclaimed, ecstatically.

After that, I left the music room and looked at my phone. Yup, definitely lunch time. I headed for the mess hall.

After loading up my plate, I tried to figure out where to sit. As I looked around at the tables and chairs in the room, I spotted a small girl way in the back by the window. She wasn't just sitting alone by herself, she was sitting isolated from everyone else in the room. She was wearing a kimono and had blonde hair and pigtails. She looked kind of lonely. Curious, I walked over towards her.

"Hey," I said when I was close enough. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"I'd honestly prefer you didn't," she snapped.

I took a long look at her. _Wait, pigtails…short…oh this is the girl Alex was telling me about. The one he doesn't like. …There's no way she's as bad as he says._ "I'm not hearing a no," I said. I knew I was tiptoeing around a landmine, but I wanted to see where this led.

"Do what you want," the girl retorted still sounding irritated.

I looked left and right and then promptly sat down in the closest chair. I started eating. She did too. The air between us was silent and rather charged like an unstable electric socket. Realizing she wasn't going to say anything unless I did, I said, "S-so, u-um, what's your name?"

She looked at me, cheeks swollen with food in her mouth. She swallowed, drank water, glared and then said, "Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Traditional Dancer. Let me guess, you're the Ultimate Nosy body."

 _Cute,_ I thought sarcastically. "Miaka Senri, the Ultimate Cosplayer."

"Cosplayer, huh? Yeah, I suppose cheap garbage clothes like that counts as cosplay."

 _How dare she! I paid good money and a lot of sewing hours to put this costume together!_ I calmed myself down before I objected out loud though. _No, no. Making an outburst is what she wants._ I sighed. _Besides, I can take a bit of negging. I do it to Alex often enough._ I kept telling myself she couldn't be _that_ bad and continued. "Well excuse me for not having authentic metal armor," I said. The "armor" I made for the suit was actually carefully crafted plastic and rubber. "I don't exactly have access to an anvil and forge."

"You know the school has an Ultimate Blacksmith, he could probably fix you up with that," Saionji speculated.

 _Did she just…_

"Then I can push you into the pool and try to see if you can swim!" Saionji exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.

… _backhanded or not, she legitimately gave good advice. I didn't know the school had an Ultimate Blacksmith. He must be an upperclassman._

Saionji had a mischievous look on her face as she said, "So did you dye your hair like a delinquent or do the curtains match the carpet?"

"Actually, it's a wig," I said. In one swift motion, I removed my hairband and wig, exposing my natural green hair to Saionji. "See?"

She only laughed. "Oh my god, that thing on your forehead looks ridiculous."

She couldn't have meant my glasses. I wasn't wearing them at the moment. Wait…did she mean my…?

"So, does it do tricks or is that thing alive?" Saionji asked, continuing to laugh at what I could now presume was my hair.

"Don't make fun of my ahoge. I've had this thing since I was in diapers. It's like a birth mark. I take pride in it," I remarked.

Saionji continued to laugh. "How can you take pride in something that looks so stupid?" she asked snidely.

"You say that like big poofy pigtails are much better," I said, returning the snark. _Finally, a worthy adversary,_ I thought. It'd been a while since I found someone I could have snark to snark combat with.

However, I didn't get the reaction I expected. Instead, Saionji looked almost defensive. "Wh-what's wrong with my pigtails? I'll have you know my fan base loves my pigtails, you nasty pig barf!"

I backed off on the snark and tried to level the situation. "Nothing's wrong as long as there's nothing wrong with having a stubborn cowlick," I said, flicking it with my thumb and forefinger.

"I still think your hair looks stupid!" Saionji almost shouted.

"Why are you getting so angry?" I asked, now legitimately confused by Saionji's behavior.

"I am _not_ angry!" Saionji shouted, standing up, but not loud enough that the noisy mess hall was gonna look at us.

"Look, I'm sorry I insulted your pigtails. Calm down, will you? They're nice pigtails," I said, hoping it would calm her down. I considered myself a very non-confrontational person. There was a possibility there was more going on with this girl than Alex gave her credit for. I made a special note: insulting Saionji's pigtails equals not a good idea.

Saionji sat down. "Hmph," she said, pouting. "You're just saying that."

"No, really. They make you look cute," I said.

"Hmph, now I know you're just blowing smoke up my ass," Saionji harrumphed.

"Look, I didn't think you'd cave in like that. I honestly thought we could have some friendly witty banter. You know...like friends."

"I-I didn't cave in! Shut up!" Saionji shouted nastily. "B-besides, why would I want to be friends with a cosplaying pig barf like you?" she asked, glaring at me.

 _Okay, starting to see why Alex doesn't like her. Totally get it. She's super bitchy and he's never liked tsunderes with extra tsun. Still…_ "You don't want to?" I asked, deliberately giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Eew! The pleading eyes thing, gross," she retorted. "What is that supposed to make me feel pity for you, or something? You must have me confused with someone that actually cares."

"Damn, that usually works," I said.

"Your attempts at manipulation won't work on me, you trashy skank," Saionji retorted.

I jumped a little. "Whoops, did I say that out loud?"

"Keep your internal monologues internal. That's what they're for, stupid! I can't believe I let you sit with me."

"Hey, you could've told me to leave the table at any time you know."

"Would you have? You seem pretty damn persistent, just like a fly that won't die no matter how much you swat it," Saionji retorted rudely.

"Yes," I said sincerely.

"Hmph. Well…whatever. It's not like letting you sit with me was a waste of time or anything. Although, I would've preferred to eat alone."

"Sometimes a change of pace isn't so bad," I said.

"Hmph, I'm only eating alone because the person I've been sitting with was busy and I got hungry now. Don't get any funny ideas," Saionji pouted. And then she retorted. "And this doesn't make us friends! So don't get any funny ideas!"

"Hadn't crossed my mind," I said with a smile.

"Fine, whatever." She then grumbled incoherently, but it sounded like she said, "Like I care."

After that we ate in silence. I could totally see why people might not like this tiny little blonde, but you don't become an Ultimate Cosplayer without being a good actor and getting a good read on people. And I was pretty sure Saionji's attitude was being used to mask a far more tender side to her that she didn't want anyone to see. I caught a glimpse when she caved in to my insults. It's unfortunately not an…unfamiliar feeling. But I had to get closer to her if I wanted to truly understand her. You know, maybe I would, for her sake.

After lunch, I parted from Saionji and tried to figure out what to do next. Well…after I properly reaffixed my wig and hairband in the bathroom of course. After leaving, I decided that it might be nice to spend a little time with Alex. Strange, I know, right? But, other than lunch on the first day, me scolding him this morning, and running into each other in passing, we hadn't spent much time together. If he wasn't going to remedy that—probably because he was too busy ogling a large pair of breasts—then I was.

Oddly enough, I found him walking around outside with a notebook, scribbling in it.

"Well this is odd, you outside," I said. "I thought you were a vampire."

"Oh you're so funny," He said sarcastically. "Couple of upperclassmen were working on a project from class 75. Couldn't concentrate on my work. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do," I said. "So, wanna hang out?"

He shut the notebook. "Sure."

The two of us then walked around the fountain area for a bit, eventually coming to rest by the bench in front of it. "So, this is rare, you coming to me just to hang out for a bit," he said.

"Eh, figured what's the harm," I said.

"None," he responded eagerly to my rhetorical question. "And as long as you're here, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Just how big of a name are you in this country?"

"Pardon?"

"Well…it's just…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You always tried to avoid the subject when we chatted online, said it wasn't terribly important that I know. I get that you didn't want to chase me away and I kind of just stopped asking." He gave me a serious look. "But now we're both standing here on Hope's Peak Academy soil and I think it would be good if I know. I consider us pretty close and I'd hate for your fans to see us and think something weird or for me to screw up and ruin your reputation. Or, perhaps, maybe we should drift apart a little just to take the edge off."

"Don't be stupid. I always have time for you. We're friends."

"Oh? Really?" he asked me.

"I've posed with fans and chatted with some on occasion. No one's gonna bat an eyelash just cause you're from overseas. Besides, if I put you in costume people may not know the difference. Spike your hair a little and you'd make a convincing Cloud Strife."

He laughed. "Well, it's good to know nothing's gonna change between us."

"Why would it?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Dunno. Always that feeling of doubt in the back of my mind, you know."

"Well tell that feeling to go away," I said.

"I will. And thanks."

"No problem."

Alex and I chatted for a little longer about our experiences at Hope's Peak Academy over the last couple of days and our goals and expectations with the school. Then he said he had a little more work to do before going home and I headed back into the school to maybe go to the computer lab for a bit. However, as I wandered the halls, I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

"Say cheese!"

I turned and a flash of light blinded me. As my vision returned to normal, I found Koizumi standing in front of me again. And she wasn't alone. Saionji and Ibuki were with her. "O-oh…h-h-hi!" I exclaimed.

"Hey," Koizumi said with a smile. "Say, listen. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I was going to go up to the music room with Hiyoko and Ibuki to take photos. Wanna bring some outfits? We could have a group photo session."

I froze solid. I didn't know what to say. It's not like I hadn't been in photo shoots before, but a group session? And what would she do with the pictures? Would she join us? What would Koizumi look like in some of my more…interesting outfits. Ack! No! Bad Miaka! Don't think about stuff like that.

As my mind drifted back to reality. Ibuki exclaimed. "Oooh! Oooh! Do you have anything that resembles that red and blue haired chick from that anime with the living clothes? I could totally rock that," Ibuki winked and stuck her tongue out.

As I pictured Ibuki dressed as Ryuko Matoi, which wasn't that hard to do, I could feel my face growing hot and subsequently fluid dribbled down it. It was warm and red. _Oh…crap._

"Ah! Here," Koizumi said and handed me a tissue. "Pinch it. It'll stop bleeding."

"Th-thanks," I said. I tilted my head back and held the tissue to my nose.

"No," she said calmly. "Don't tilt your head back, you're supposed to tip it forward. Come on, let's go to the bathroom. You can get it under control in there."

I wasn't prepared when Koizumi got behind me and put her hand flush against my back…my bare back. I was dressed as Cherche so my back as completely exposed. Usually, that was not a problem, but I had a girl…a really cute girl with her bare hand against my unclothed back. I…I just…oh god. I tilted my head forward as more blood started to gush out.

"Here," Koizumi said, "Take the whole pack."

I grabbed it without saying a word and replaced the one in my hand, balling it up and quickly switching it out. It got worse when Koizumi pushed her hand against my back.

"H-hey, u-um…are you coming or what? We can't have you bleeding in the middle of the hallway." She pushed harder, which only made my legs lock up tighter. "Ummmm…"

"Maybe Ibuki should carry her!" Ibuki exclaimed.

"Please, her legs are working just fine. She's just a perverted dyke skank having perverted dyke fantasies," Saionji snapped, glaring at me.

… _She's on to me,_ I thought.

"It's okay, Miaka-chan, Ibuki's a huge pervert too," Ibuki stated.

 _Wait, what? No, stop. That's not inspiring confidence, Ibuki,_ I thought in a panic.

"Jeeeeez," Koizumi said, letting out a big groan. "It almost makes me wish we had a boy here with stronger muscles so we could get you into the bathroom easier."

"N-no…I-I can walk," I said, finally finding my voice. "Left foot, right foot, right?"

Koizumi looked at me confused. "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm totally fine. Aside from a little nosebleed, I'm perfect! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed fakely and loudly.

"Right, let's get you into the bathroom," Koizumi said. She refused to take her hand off my back the entire trip down the hall. She had her other hand on my arm. It was comforting and at the same time a nightmare.

 _Now I know what it feels like to be Soleil,_ I thought.

In the bathroom, with me hunched over a toilet, it didn't take long for my nose to stop bleeding. I flushed all the tissues and toilet paper down the toilet and then stood up and faced the girls. "S-so…ph-photoshoot…" I said.

Koizumi's face lit up. "We were gonna have it in the music room. Gather up some outfits and meet us there, okay?"

"Bring at least _something_ I can wear," Saionji snapped. "Cause I'm not gonna wear anything that's showing my stomach."

 _Not like you could show off your chest,_ I thought.

"Ibuki will wear anything as long as it fits."

"Oh, I'm sure I've got a Ryuko Matoi cosplay around here somewhere, even though my chest can't exactly fill out that top," I said.

"Great, like I said, meet us there," Koizumi told me.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered.

The girls left the bathroom, and I proceeded to raid my secret stash that I kept hidden. I also grabbed the costumes I left hidden in my classroom and grabbed a few more that I kept tucked in odds and ends on my way up to the fourth floor. I was carrying about fifty costumes by the time I made it to the fourth floor.

"Will this do?" I asked, with a hanger in my mouth upon entering the music room.

"All right, Miaka-chan! You don't hold back."

"Want me to take that?" Koizumi offered standing in front of the hangers I was holding in my mouth.

I nodded. She accepted them from me and laid them out on the piano so that they were nice and flat.

"Right, everyone get into a costume and I'll start snapping photographs. This is gonna turn out great, I just know it."

We spent a good few hours posing in costume, though Mahiru didn't partake so she could snap photos. Ibuki did put on the Ryuko Matoi outfit I had on me. I also managed to get Hiyoko to look like a blonde Anise Tatlin. I thought the photo shoot went really well. Like I said, it wasn't the first time I'd been through this.

However…

"What's wrong with you?" Saionji snapped as Koizumi plugged her camera into her laptop and looked at the photos she took. "Do you not know how to smile? And you were so stiff throughout everything. Did you spend the night locked in a freezer?" She grew more hostile. "Or maybe you're a perverted masochist and you wanted Ibuki touching places other than your arms and legs!"

Ibuki winked. "I would have if she asked."

 _Again, not helping, Ibuki,_ I thought.

"Yeah, seriously. You've been awfully quiet," Koizumi said, clutching her head and looking concerned. "I heard from some people that were in masquerades with you that you're quite the chatterbox. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I…er…that is…I…gotta go!" In a flash, I swept up my costumes and fled the music room like an Olympic track star.

When everything was put back I made a direct bee line for my dorm room, slammed the door shut and locked it. I blushed hard and tapped my fingers together as I stood there wigless and without a cosplay on. Koizumi was just being nice…but that's not how I looked at her. If she knew what I thought, she'd hate me. It'd never work out between us, just like how it had never worked out before. Well…I mean…it's not like I've ever confessed to a girl before.

I slunk down to the floor and brought my knees up to my chin.

I don't know how Alex managed to get the courage to confess to ten different girls. I can barely hold my own trying to _talk_ to one that I like. I put my head in my knees. I was so embarrassed. I needed to find the courage to be able to talk to Koizumi without freezing up like that. Just as I thought I was about to cry, I heard a knock on my door.

"Oi, Senri, are you in there?"

My head picked up. _Koizumi?_

I stood up and, without thinking, opened the door. Koizumi was a little out of breath as she stood in front of my door. "Good, I got the right dorm room," she said with a smile. Both Saionji and Ibuki were standing on either side of her.

"Miaka-chan, are you okay? Ibuki was really worried about you."

"We were _all_ worried, Ibuki," Koizumi said.

"Worried?" I asked.

"Yeah," Koizumi said, looking nervous. "I mean, the three of us are already friends and well…we got concerned when you just ran off like that, you know."

Saionji looked to the side and pursued her lips, "D-don't get the wrong idea. I just followed them. I don't care one bit about a pervert like you."

"Look, I guess I was a bit overzealous in my actions. I didn't mean to frighten you." Koizumi blushed. "I-I wasn't thinking of your feelings…and I'm sorry. I just…when I heard you were the Ultimate Cosplayer…the photographer in me just loved the idea of taking pictures of you." She smiled. "But what I really want to do is be your friend, Miaka."

"Ah…"

"So, whatdya say?"

I bowed low, "Th-thank you very much!" I leaned up a little, but didn't rise all the way, blushing as I spoke to Koizumi. "A-are you sure y-you want to be friends…with me?"

"Why not?"

My head lowered again, "Thank you, Koizumi."

"Please, call me Mahiru."

"And you can call me Hiyoko," Saionji said. "I absolutely hate my last name."

"Fair enough," I said trying to smile.

"So, wanna head to the mall. I have a bit of shopping to do so…"

"Which mall? The close one? The big one? Right now. Um…m-mabye…n-not definitely another time! I…DINNER'S BURNING!" I shouted and slammed the door.

"Well that was a waste of time," I heard Hiyoko say from the other side of the door.

"No it wasn't. Come on, girls. She needs space. We'll likely see her tomorrow."

"Awwww, and Ibuki was really looking forward to a girl's night out as the four of us."

I could only smile and blush as I sat down on the ground. Among my crushes, none of them had ever been my friend before. Perhaps there was hope for this one after all.

 **End of Chapter 7**

* * *

 **(A/N: A bit short, but I have to change chapters when the POV switches. I** _ **used**_ **to do that with my earlier fanfics and it looked god awful. So you know what that means? Next chapter is me again! And the next two chapters I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Until then, as always, from all of me to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)**


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